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Delhi Metro Rail News Archives »
80% of South Delhi for elevated track
10, June, 2007
In yet another twist to the debate over an elevated vs underground
Metro corridor for new line from Jangpura to Badarpur, a delhi survey
has revealed that over 80% south Delhites are eagerly awaiting elevated
Central Secretariat-Badarpur line.
The residents reportedly don't want the Metro corridor to be converted
into underground if it means a delay in the line's commissioning.
As part of the survey, carried out informally by Delhi Metro staff, over 1,000 households in colones including Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, Amar Colony, East of Kailash, Kailash Colony, Jamroodpur, Nehru Place, Sarita Vihar and Okhla, were interviewed.
The findings: About 93% of the prospective metro
users were aware that it is going to reach them before the Commonwealth
Games in Delhi in 2010. Another 72% were aware that the section
is elevated and a whopping 83% were of the opinion that if converting
the elevated line into an underground one means that the line will
not be completed before 2010, it is not worth it. (The line has a
record 35 month completion deadline.)
The survey was commissioned after DMRC got representations from a group of residents of the area, who were against the elevated corridor. They felt it will lead to increased congestion and noise pollution and also spoil the aesthetics of the area.
Said DMRC's chief spokesperson Anuj Dayal: "We wanted to know the ground situation and get a people's feedback on the elevated corridor before giving it the final go-ahead. This is why the informal survey has been commissioned."
As per the initial plan, the Central Secretariat-Badarpur Line (line
6) was supposed to be part of Metro's Phase
III of construction, scheduled to be commissioned after 2010.
But it was shifted to Phase II, since as per the masterplan expansion
plan, the line should be completed by 2010.
The decision to prepone this to Phase II was largely because of the Commonwealth Games, since the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium fall on it. It will also link Delhi with Faridabad, once the extension plan beyond Badarpur is approved by Haryana Government, and would bring several crowded colonies on metro map.
Delhi Metro officials feel that
resistance to the elevated line is mostly from a small pocket of people
in Defence Colony and Lajpat Nagar, who are directly affected as the
elevated Metro will pass near their houses. Most of them, reportedly
own several cars, and may or may not become Metro users.
"Going underground for a few residents would involve an extra expenditure of Rs. 850 crore (for 4.44 km underground) and Rs. 98 crore (for 4.44 km underground) and Rs. 98 crore in taxes, making the financial rate of return of this line negative," Dayal added.
Source: TNN
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