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Chandigarh admn pushes Centre for a fully underground Metro network
Administration cites Chandigarh’s heritage status; Union ministry of housing and urban affairs seeks detailed report before taking decision
In line with recommendations of the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) sub-panel, UT officers on Monday informed the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) that the Metro corridors falling in Chandigarh should be entirely underground.
During a meeting in Delhi, UT officers informed the ministry officials that the sub-panel made this decision considering the heritage status of the city. The ministry has now sought a detailed report on why the underground network has been proposed before making a final decision.
“A meeting of the Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA) is scheduled next month, where the ministry officials will be present. We are hoping that the ministry will take a final decision by February-end,” said a senior UT officer, who attending the meeting in Delhi.
Currently, according to the alignment option report prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES), the 154-km Metro network proposed across the tricity will mostly feature elevated tracks and stations.
Of the total 20 km network proposed in Chandigarh, approximately 8 km is elevated, which will alter Chandigarh’s aesthetic landscape, said a UT official.
However, opting for underground corridors is projected to increase the expenditure by nearly ₹8,000 crore, bringing the total project outlay to around ₹19,000 crore.
The report has listed three corridors as part of Phase 1, criss-crossing through Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula.
Among them, the one along the Madhya Marg, which falls in Chandigarh’s heritage sectors (1 to 30), will be completely elevated, while the other two will be mostly elevated and partly underground.
Phase 2, planned in Mohali and Panchkula, will also have a mostly elevated network.
Of the total cost, 20% will be paid by Haryana and Punjab, 20% by the Centre, and the remaining 60% by the lending agency.
The first phase includes three routes — Sultanpur, New Chandigarh, to Sector 28, Panchkula (34 km); Sukhna Lake to Zirakpur ISBT via Mohali ISBT and Chandigarh airport (41.20 km); and from Grain Market Chowk, Sector 39, to Transport Chowk, Sector 26 (13.30 km), apart from 2.5 km long depot entry. These are expected to be completed by 2034.
In Phase 2 of 25 km, which will be developed after 2034, Metro has been proposed on Airport Chowk to Manakpur Kallar (5 km) and ISBT Zirakpur to Pinjore (20 km), also with a mostly elevated network.
