The Hindu : New Delhi News : GoM rubbishes RWAs’ fears on elevated Metro

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GoM rubbishes RWAs’ fears on elevated Metro

Staff Reporter

It will be elevated in South Delhi as per original plan

GoM’s decision will now be placed before the High Court
South Delhi residents say reasons cited by DMRC ‘unfounded’

NEW DELHI: The metro in South Delhi will be elevated after all. This decision was taken by the empowered Group of Ministers, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, late on Friday night.

After a section of residents’ welfare associations in several South Delhi colonies approached the Delhi High Court seeking reprieve against an elevated metro railway corridor, the matter was reverted to the GoM for a final decision. “The GoM was informed that there are certain conditions owing to which the stretch between Lajpat Nagar and Nehru Place along the Central Secretariat- Badarpur line cannot be made underground,” said a senior official in the Ministry of Urban Development.

“Taking cognisance of the time and financial constraints cited by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the GoM took the view that the metro tracks in the areas should remain elevated as was decided in the original plan,” he said.

The GoM’s decision will now be placed before the High Court on the next date of hearing.Opposed to the idea of an elevated stretch in their neighbourhood, residents have on their part decided to approach the High Court for a stay order.

“We are disappointed, because we have based our opposition on certain facts. The environment, the skyline and the health of the people living around this elevated stretch will be adversely affected. We will approach the Court for a stay order,” said Rajiv Kakria of the Greater Kailash Residents’ Welfare Association.

The residents had also written to Mr. Mukherjee and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for an “objective review”.

In a letter to Mr. Mukherjee the residents had said that the reasons cited by DMRC against an underground stretch were “unfounded”.

“The DMRC, in their presentations, has stated that the additional cost of the 4.4 km Lajpat Nagar-Nehru Place line would be in excess of Rs.850 crore -- that is, Rs.200 crore per km. The DMRC has awarded a contact to a company in August 2007 for the 6.1 km underground section of the same line from Central Secretariat to Lajpat Nagar for an amount of Rs.893 crore. If the total cost of the 6.1 km section is Rs.893 crore, it is evident that the additional cost of 4.4. km cannot be Rs.850 crore. The cost per km of underground section, according to this costing, works out to Rs.147 crore,” the residents claimed.

DMRC’s contention that an underground stretch would delay the construction of the crucial line has also been contested.

“DMRC has stated that it would not be possible to complete this line in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 if this 4.4. km section has to be taken underground….DMRC has stated that they have imported machines that can tunnel faster and complete 25-30 metres of work per day as compared to earlier machines that could tunnel only at the rate of 10-15 metres per day,” it was mentioned.

The residents have cited the examples of the Central Secretariat-Gurgaon line, which the DMRC is hopeful will be completed ahead of schedule, despite having added 8.74 km, and another 5 km underground, because of the realignment via Saket for protecting Qutab Minar’s skyline. “In fact, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) also very graciously reconsidered the Expansion of Project Scope on the Loan Agreement,” Mr. Kakria said.

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