Digging of trenches for Metro begins

Digging of trenches for Metro begins
The Hindu

Efforts on to locate underground utility lines at 40 places

BANGALORE: With Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy taking keen interest in the proposed Rs. 6,300-crore Bangalore Metro railway network, some groundwork has begun already.

Mr. Kumaraswamy travelled in the Delhi Metro recently and had favoured similar network for Bangalore. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation has begun the work of identifying underground utility lines along the proposed elevated metro rail line from Mahatma Gandhi Road to Byappanahalli.

It has started digging 5 m x 6 m trenches at 40 places to locate underground utility lines such as sewage pipelines, electric cables and water pipelines.

In fact, the BMRC conducted a joint inspection along with representatives from utility services to identify utility lines at 190 locations where pillars are to be erected for the proposed elevated line. But the authorities from these services could identify utility lines at about 150 of the locations. Now the BMRC is forced to physically check whether such lines crisscross the points where it hopes to erect columns. Unless this is done, work on metro rail will be delayed. This digging will not be taken up on C.M.H. Road where traders have been demanding that the proposed line should be shifted to Old Madras Road. A committee headed by Justice Shivashankar Bhat is enquiring into their demands.

The BMRC has to shift the utility lines before erecting the columns. While actual shifting of the lines will be taken up only after getting final approval for the project from the Centre, the BMRC is readying the ground to take up that work.

The proposal is before a group of ministers (GoM). Although a GoM meeting was scheduled on Thursday, it was adjourned quickly after it started in view of the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush.

The first phase of the project providing for network of 36.5 km along two corridors is expected to be completed in five years after the work begins. It provides for two lines — one from Jalahalli Circle to R.V. Teachers College, Jayanagar, and the other from Mysore Road to Byappanahalli.

The State is expected to invest Rs. 1,800 crores in it and the Centre Rs. 1,149 crores. The Japan Bank of International Cooperation has agreed to provide a soft loan of Rs. 1,800 crores (repayable in 37 years at the interest rate of 5 to 6 per cent). The remaining part of the funds will be raised from the domestic market. The UTI Bank has been identified as the lead banker for the project.

The separate account under which the Bangalore Metro project was classified in the latest budget presented by the Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is expected to expedite the project as it will make getting funds easier.