Metro Rail in the pipeline

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, May 29, 2013: The Vizag civic body staff are awaiting a nod from the state government to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for introduction of metro rail in the city. Following the announcement of Metro Rail policy in the beginning of the year by the Union government, the GVMC staff here prepared a report having details about the cost to be incurred to prepare a DPR for a 20-km stretch, the present and projected population besides vehicular movement.

The GVMC estimated that it would cost at least Rs 8 lakh per kilometer to prepare a DPR. For the initial 20-km stretch, it costs Rs 1.6 crore, just to prepare a DPR. Both the state and union governments would equally share the total cost to prepare the DPR. It is estimated that there are around 6 lakh two-wheelers and four-wheelers plying on the city roads, having two million population. It is projected that the population would touch around 1 crore by 2045. 

Union Minister for Urban Development, Kamalnath, earlier said that since the metro rail is a matter related to the Union, it has been decided that all such projects in the country, whether within one municipal area or beyond, shall be taken up under the Central Metro Acts. There are metros in Kolkata, Delhi, and Bangalore. Metro works are in progress in several cities including Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and Kochi.

“It’s at the initial stage. We have written to the state government about the cost that would be incurred to prepare a DPR for a 20-km stretch, which is about Rs 1.6 crore. After we get a nod, we will start preparing a DPR which may take roughly 6-8 months and then there will be a feasibility test,” GVMC additional commissioner (projects), B. Nagendra Kumar said.