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Noida, G Noida to fund Noida Aqua Line metro extension project
GREATER NOIDA: With the Uttar Pradesh government refusing to fund the 14.95km extension corridor of Noida metro’s Aqua Line, the Noida and Greater Noida authorities
GREATER NOIDA: With the Uttar Pradesh government refusing to fund the 14.95km extension corridor of Noida metro’s Aqua Line, the Noida and Greater Noida authorities will jointly foot the construction cost, officials said Thursday.
This Metro link will branch out from the existing Metro station in Sector 51, Noida, and go towards Greater Noida’s Knowledge Park 5. The line will pass through Greater Noida West (earlier known as Noida Extensio), which houses newly developed apartment complexes.
The two industrial bodies— Noida and Greater Noida — will pool in the money for this project that passed through areas falling in the jurisdiction of the two authorities.
“The funding will be shared at a ratio of 66.75:33.25, with Noida bearing 66.75% of the cost and Greater Noida 33.25%. We have released ₹25 crore as part of our contribution so that the work can be started. We will keep releasing the funds as and when required,” Narendra Bhooshan chief executive officer, Greater Noida authority, said.
The Greater Noida authority will pay the largest share as 66.76% of the project will pass through its newly developed sectors. Basically, the authority will pay for the stretch that will passes through its areas.
According to the detailed project report (DPR), submitted in December 2016, the first phase of 9.15km will have five Metro stations—Sector 122, Sector 123, Greater Noida Sector 4, Ecotech and Greater Noida Sector 2.
In the second phase of 5.8km length, four Metro stations—Greater Noida Sector 3, Greater Noida Sector 10, Greater Noida Sector 12 and Knowledge Park V—will be developed. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed by 2022.
“The work on this project with a budget of ₹2,682 crore is expected to start by March 2019 after completing required procedures. Noida and Greater Noida will fund this project. However, we are trying to get funds from the central government in the future,” Manoj Vajpayee, general manager, Noida Metro Rail Corporation, the agency that will develop and monitor the extension project.
The Greater Noida West has emerged into a hub of housing complexes. Earlier, in 2017, authorities delayed work saying the route is not feasible owing to low population in the areas located along the proposed route. Apart from that, the two authorities had wanted the state and the central government to allocate funds for this project.
Now, Greater Noida West is home to over 1 lakh people and this Metro link will provide connectivity to this region, a NMRC official, on condition of anonymity, said.
