In India towns with population of 20 lakh (2 million) & above to have Metro sytem
The country’s Metro rail system is spreading its span with the Centre today announcing the modern transit system for all cities with a population of 20 lakh and above. Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath today said all Indian towns with the population of 20 lakh and above would have Metro rails to meet the growing demand for improved, efficient and rapid transit system.
The announcement will come as a relief to several cities in the country. The country’s urban population is expected to touch 54 crore during the next decade. According to the 2011 Census, as many as 19 cities in the country currently boast of the population figure that fulfils the criteria for a Metro rail.
Besides major metropolitan cities, the list includes cities like Surat and Kanpur for which there is nothing in the pipeline as of now.
Apart from the ongoing projects for Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has prepared detailed project reports (DPRs) for Ludhiana, Pune, Ahmedabad and Lukhnow. It is currently preparing DPRs for Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh. Nath has also written to the Maharashtra CM, asking him to initiate a DPR for Nagpur Metro.
Besides, the government has sanctioned Stage-I of the Jaipur Metro at a cost of Rs 1,250 crore to be funded entirely by the state government and is obtaining approval for funding on the PPP basis for Rs-7700 crore Stage-II. The 25.3-km Kochi Metro, to be build at a cost of Rs 4722 crore, is awaiting Cabinet approval.
Once the Phase-IV of the Delhi Metro is completed, the flag bearer of Metro rail projects in India - the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation - will surpass the London Underground. “The government has sanctioned Rs 35,242 crore for phase III Metro rail project in Delhi. This is the largest urban infrastructure project in the country till date. The Phase-IV of the Delhi Metro project will be ready by 2016. Once this project is completed, 40 lakh passengers will travel everyday,” Nath said. To cater to the increasing network, the government has undertaken a capacity building strategy. The AICTE has approved a B.Tech in Metro engineering which will begin from 2013. A separate programme for M.Tech in urban transport with specialisation in Metro technology in the IIT-Delhi and the IIT-Madras is being pursued. Metro training institutes have been set up by the Delhi Metro and the Bangalore Metro. Research and Design cell for indigenisation as well as R&D to reduce costs and provide a ready source for spares and replacements are being set up.
The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News
Metro to reach cities with 20 lakh population
New Delhi: Cities having a population of 20 lakh or more will soon have Metro facility. The announcement, which is sure to come as a big relief to the people of numerous cities of this country, was made by Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday.
This move is said to be initiated to meet the increasing needs of the nation for an improved and efficient transit system.
The Union Minister said that work on phase four of Delhi Metro will start soon. Kamal Nath added that Delhi will get 104 Kilometres route and seven lines in fourth phase of the Metro rail project.
Addressing the media Kamal Nath revealed, “Government has sanctioned Rs 35, 242 crore (US$ 7.5 billion) for phase III Metro rail project in Delhi. This is the largest urban infrastructure project in the country till date.”
Talking about the harrowing experience that the daily commuters face in Delhi, the Union Minister said, “Phase four of the Metro project will be ready by 2016. Once this project is complete, Metro will carry 40 lakh passengers every day.”
Notably, project report on Ahmedabad and Lucknow Metro rail is ready and a survey on Indore, Chandigarh and Bhopal Metro rail is underway.
On the long-pending Metro project in Kochi, the Minister said the proposal for building a 25.3-km network in the Kerala city would be taken to the Union Cabinet in the next 15 days.
He said projects such as Mumbai Line-III (Colaba-Mahim/Bandra corridor) funded by both Central and state governments and Jaipur Metro stage-II, highspeed metro linking Bangalore city with the airport and extension of Chennai Metro under the PPP model.
“A detailed project on Lucknow Metro has been sent to UP government. We are waiting for their reply,” Kamal Nath said.
Nath also proposed to bring in standardisation in all areas of Metro Rail systems with an aim to achieve reduction in cost through economies of scale and increase competition.
To make sure that Metro operations provide networked connectivity, all projects should establish a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority to create a National Common Mobility Card for fare integration, he said.
"Since Metro Railway is a Railway which is a Central subject, it has been decided that all Metro Rail projects in the country, whether within one municipal are or beyond, shall be taken up under the Central Metro Acts only," he said.
On why the construction of Kolkata Metro Phase-II was given to the Indian Railways, Nath said it was a continuation process as the Phase-I was built by it.
Implicit in the Urban Development Minister’s announcement is Centre’s policy to focus on the development and promotion of the public transport systems across India.
With most of the cities in India being overcrowded and not having an efficient public transport system, any effort by the government in this direction is sure to be a welcome step.
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