NEW DELHI: Due to the initiative taken by the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation -- which had given a go ahead to funding for the Metro link up to Mehrauli -- the delay in the construction of the Delhi Metro line from IIT to Mehrauli has been reduced. Despite the fact that proximity to the historic Qutab Minar led to a delay in finalisation of the route to be taken by the Delhi Metro beyond IIT, construction on the IIT-Andheria Mor section is now due to be taken up from October this year and would be completed by June 2010.

Director (Project and Planning) of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation C.B.K. Rao said since JBIC had committed its share of funding for the project, a lot of time has been saved as the pre-qualification of the tenders has already been taken up. The official said due to the clearance from JBIC, DMRC was able to go ahead with detailed planning work.

As such while the proposal for the new alignment of the line between IIT and Andheria Mor is yet to be approved of by the DMRC Board, the work contracts have almost been finalised. By the time the proposal would be put to the empowered Group of Ministers and the approval would come, the tendering process would be in the final stage.

In the case of the new Metro bridge over the Yamuna -- being constructed for taking the Metro to New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar in East Delhi -- too the contract was awarded just days after the approval had come from the Centre.

It has now been decided that the new link would take the Metro further south via Green Park, Hauz Khas, Sarvpriya Vihar, Malviya Nagar, Saket, Ambedkar Nagar and Andheria Mor.

Earlier, DMRC had put on hold its plans for construction of the Metro line from IIT to Andheria Mor as it was passing close to the World Heritage Monument and due to this the Archaeological Survey of India and conservationists had protested against the alignment. Though DMRC had later proposed to take the line a good 500 metres from the monument, even that had failed to satisfy the protestors.

Thereafter the new alignment was thought of as it not only addressed the concerns of the protesting groups but also passed through a thickly populated area due to which DMRC now expects the ridership on the section to improve by another 25,000 passengers per day. Also the new alignment through Malviya Nagar and Saket would take the line closer to other parts of South Delhi such as Greater Kailash, boosting the prospects of an even higher ridership. The new alignment would also do away with the need to construct a 2.88 km underground corridor beyond IIT which would have cost an additional Rs 460 crores since the cost of construction of underground line is Rs 270 crores per km as against Rs 110 crores per km for elevated corridors. Incidentally, ASI Director General C. Babu Rajeev had also asked DMRC to consider the underground option in November 2005.

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