Thaindian News

By Prathiba Raju and Devirupa Mitra
New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) Covering several more residential, business and academic centres of the capital than originally planned, Delhi Metro is giving final shape to its third phase, which, when completed, will bring cheer to thousands of more passengers.The biggest addition in Phase III, where the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has planned an extension of over 30 km, is the coverage of Jamia Milia Islamia University, a top Metro official said.

The proposed Phase III will cost Rs.27,500 crore for the Delhi extensions and is expected to be completed by March 2016. With this, the DMRC will cover 70 percent of the capital city’s population and include neighbouring areas like Faridabad and Noida, DMRC Managing Director E. Sreedharan told IANS.

The project was approved in principle by the Delhi government in October 2010. But the government has suggested some amendments, asking the DMRC to cover more areas so as to include the outer and the inner ring roads.

“We were supposed to have met the Planning Commission officials with the detailed project report (DPR) of Phase III by Jan 13 for a review and to take a final call on the budget decision. The meeting never happened as we are not ready with the DPR. It is still being finalised,” Sreedharan said.

“We had prepared a DPR earlier for 70 km. Now, the Delhi government wants some alterations. So Phase III is coming to almost 104 km, 34 km extra,” the DMRC chief said.

After the Planning Commission’s approval, the Phase-III project will be reviewed by an empowered committee of officials before going for union cabinet approval.

Sreedharan said a final decision on the funding pattern is yet to be taken, but the DMRC has given some suggestions in this regard.

“We have given some suggestions. One option is for the two governments (India and Japan) contributing 40 percent (each) of the cost. The Japanese funding can extend to nearly 40 percent and the DMRC itself can raise about five to eight percent on the property development as things are looking up on the real estate,” he explained.

For the balance fund he suggested that the government authorise the DMRC to issue tax- free bonds for that amount or alternatively request the Japanese government to make it 50 percent instead of 40 percent.

To a query on whether the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will come forward to fund the Phase III project, Sreedharan said: “We have a very good relationship with the JICA. Their own experience with the DMRC has been excellent in Phase I and II (and) they are willing to consider. But they haven’t made any commitment as we have not formally requested them.”

Sreedharan said Delhi Metro has already begun preliminary works of Phase III to save time.

The soil investigation, geo-technical surveys, finalising station design for the underground and elevated stations and preparation of tender documents have started.

“Apart from this we are revising the specifications in many areas to bring down the cost of the project without sacrificing the safety or the reliability,” he said.

The work for Phase III will start in April.

“(Phase III will have) two additional big lines - Lines 7 and 8 - while others are only extension of existing lines…… The Kalindi Kunj line will be extended till Noida (Botanical Garden). The Noida extension will be taken care of by the Noida authority,” he added.

The biggest addition on Phase III is the coverage of Jamia Milia Islamia University, which will extend from Nehru Place and will cover the outer Ring Road.

Kalkaji will be one of the interchange stations on this line and it will attract a lot of commuters as it covers the university and many schools.

As of now, 184 km of track are operational, the Metro chief said. Three more km will be opened in Kirti Nagar and three in Vaishali. Finally, it will be 190 km under phase one and two put together.

With the completion of Phase III the DMRC hopes to cover almost 70 percent of Delhi.

Sreedharan said that the Metro carries about 1.5 million passengers and the average revenue is about Rs.2.75 crores a day. By the time Phase III is over it is targeting a total ridership of at least three million people, the total revenue reaching over Rs.5 crore a day.

“Once Phase III is successfully completed we will go for Phase IV,” The Metro chief added.

(Prathiba Raju and Devirupa Mitra can be contacted at prathiba.r@ians.in and devirupa.m@ians.in)