PUNE- Metro on faster track than Nagpur's

Dec 17 2016 : The Times of India (Pune)

Pune: TIMES NEWS NETWORK





Team Arrives To Study Actual Site

The metro for Pune appears to be gathering steam. A Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MAHA Metro) team is in the city on Friday to study the route.Its officials said the ground work for the Pune metro will be done faster than Nagpur's as multiple tasks will be performed simultaneously.
“Land acquisition, route survey and designing will be done at the same time instead of the phased manner like the Nagpur project,“ managing director of Maha Metro Brijesh Dixit said.
Though the detailed project report (DPR) for both routes is ready MAHA Metro officials are looking at the actual situation.
“A geo-technical survey for the metro work will be done to check soil quality , rock formations and other natural aspects. The shifting of underground service lines will be done before construction begins. Two boring machines have arrived and 30 more will come soon,“ Dixit said.
A decision about expanding the corridor will be taken after a traffic survey and a financial report.
People's participation will be increased by involving them in planning and social media platforms will be used for reaching out to users.
The Union cabinet recently approved the first phase of the Pune metro rail project covering a distance of 31.254 km over two corridors Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to Swargate covering 16.6 km and Vanaz to Ram wadi covering 14.7 km. While the first corridor will be a mix of under ground and elevated sections, the second corridor will be completely elevated.
The entire metro project, to be built at a cost of Rs 11,420 crore, will benefit around 50 lakh people in the Pune metropolitan area. The project is expected to be completed in five years.
The project will be implemented by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited, which will be a 50:50 jointly owned company of the central and state governments.
The ground breaking ceremony is tentatively scheduled for December 24. While the BJP wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the honours, the NCP, which is the ruling party in Pune Municipal Corporation, wants party chief Sharad Pawar for the ceremony .
Last week, local BJP leaders declared that Modi would launch the project during his proposed visit to the city on December 24.
Soon after, an “all party“ meet resolved that Pawar would be invited as the chief guest for the launch ceremony .
Though leaders from the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, who were present at this meet, strongly opposed the resolution, it was passed by a majority .