The Hindu : New Delhi News : Full steam ahead from Delhi to Gurgaon

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Sunday, Nov 04, 2007
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New Delhi

Full steam ahead from Delhi to Gurgaon

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Metro steps up pace of work on new line from Central Secretariat to Sushant Lok

– PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA

WORK IN PROGRESS: Construction of the new metro line from Central Secretariat to Gurgaon under way near Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: The pace of work on the upcoming new Central Secretariat-Gurgaon metro railway line has been stepped up by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to meet the January 2010 deadline. The 7.08-km stretch from the Delhi-Haryana border to Sushant Lok will bring Delhi closer to its suburban neighbour.

The DMRC, which has beaten quite a few of its own deadlines over the years during construction of lines in Phase I and II of its ambitious project in the Capital, does not want to miss the January 2010 target set for the new line.

Record time

“As of now, work is going on without any impediments. In fact, some of the work has been finished in record time. For instance, work on segment launching started within seven months, which is very fast, because it generally takes at least 12 months to reach this stage,” says DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal.

Conscious of the limited time it has on hand, DMRC wants to take no chances. “The line was supposed to be completed by the end of 2010, but at the time of signing the contract the Haryana Government asked DMRC to complete the work at the earliest so January 2010 was decided as the cut-off date,” he explains.

The line will have five stations: Garden Estate, Sikandarpur, DT City Centre, IFFCO Chowk and Sushant Lok.

“The most difficult stretches are the Sikandarpur market and DT City Centre station. We also have the highest pier at the Sikandarpur market at 12.5 metres,” says Mr. Dayal.

A boon for Gurgaon

The line is expected to solve problems being faced by residents of Gurgaon, and also reduce commuting time between Delhi and Haryana significantly.

For the convenience of passengers, the distance between stations has been kept to the minimum.

“The maximum distance is about 1.49 km, which is between IFFCO Chowk station and Sushant Lok. Care has also been taken to provide adequate space for parking at each station,” says Mr. Dayal.

While work on station buildings has started, DMRC is awaiting approval for the work on shifting of main power towers, drains and diversion of the 66-kV line between IFFCO Chowk and Sushant Lok.

Roads widened

DMRC officials say existing roads have been widened wherever required to maintain the three-lane traffic in each direction.

Referring to the protest against DMRC’s plans to set up a metro station near the gates of Heritage City, Mr. Dayal says: “A proposal has been sent to the Haryana Government for modifications in the entry-exit structure opposite Heritage City at DT City Centre station.”

Local residents have sought a re-alignment of the DT City Centre station on the ground that it would affect the movement of residents and vehicles.

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