By: Owais Gul
Srinagar, Dec 08: The much awaited J&K’s mega metro project set to come up at the whopping Rs 11,000 Crore is set to begin but the technical glitch is that the sources of funding are yet to be explored to set the ball rolling
Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) has completed all the formalities and have also sent the Detailed Project Report (DPR) in this regard.
An official not authorised to speak to media, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), on the condition of anonymity, that the DPR submitted for the metro rail projects are still in the approval process as the involvement of huge funds remains the reason for the delay in the project.
“There is a lot of funding involved for the mega project and there is a need to find the sources of funding as well. This is something we are looking at…,” the official said, adding that nonetheless the project is well created and well made.
“The alignments and other mandatory processes are well designed and created. They are touching on urban hubs, which require a modern urban mobility planning. Everything has been kept in mind and the DPR has been submitted in this regard,” sources, privy to the project told KNO.
Sources said that everything has been finalized by the MRTC, but the project has not been approved yet and would likely take some more time to get approved. “The ball is in the court of the Government of India now. The project can be carried forward only after the nod of the union government,” they said.
Pertinently, the Jammu and Kashmir government had submitted a Detailed Project Reports (DPR) of Rs 10, 599 crore for the metro rail projects in Jammu and Srinagar to the centre for the approval, which include Rs 5,734 crore for Srinagar and Rs 4,825 crore for Jammu.
Notably, on completion, Srinagar and Jammu will become the first two non-major cities in India to have the rapid transport network functional.
As per the project, Jammu Light Metro will operate 17 hours a day round the year while Srinagar Light Metro will operate 17 hours daily during summers and 14 hours daily for winters.
The metro rail lines will have only elevated corridors as the underground tunnels were not found feasible. The coaches of the Metrolite system will be modern, lightweight and made from stainless steel and aluminium with an air-conditioning system, as per the DPRs.
The Jammu Light Rail System will have a 23-kilometre length with 22 stations between Bantalab and Bari Brahmana whereas Srinagar light rail system will have a 25-kilometre length which includes a 12.5-kilometre length from Indira Nagar to HMT Junction and 12.5-kilometer length from Hazuri Bagh to Osmanabad with 24 stations (12 stations on each corridor)—(KNO)
