Metro corp to extend Aqua line on priority before Magenta line

Noida Metro will prioritize extending the Aqua line to Greater Noida West, benefiting 500,000 people, instead of the Botanical Garden line expansion.

The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) on Tuesday said that they will start work to extend the Aqua line instead of the Botanical Garden line expansion, said officials.

According to officials, the decision was taken to benefit 5,00,000 people looking for a safe public transport facility. (Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

According to officials, the decision was taken to benefit 5,00,000 people looking for a safe public transport facility.

During a meeting on Tuesday, NMRC approved a revised proposal sent to the central government for approval in this regard, said officials.

“The government of India approved Botanical Garden Metro project paving way for the construction to begin at the site but today we have decided that we will start building metro project from Sector 51 to Greater Noida West because they need the metro connectivity on priority and the work on 11.56km project will begin later in view of the demand raised by general public,” said Krishna Karunesh chief executive officer of the Noida authority and managing director of NMRC.

The announcement came two days after the Union ministry approved the Botanical Garden line expansion at the budget of ₹2,254 crore.

To be sure, the Noida and the Greater Noida authorities on December 12, 2019 had decided that both of them will fund for the project.

According to the detailed project report (DPR) submitted in December 2016, the first phase of 9.1-km will have five Metro stations: Sector 122, Sector 123, Greater Noida Sector 4, Ecotech and Greater Noida Sector 2. In the second phase of 5.8-km, four stations: Greater Noida Sector 3, Greater Noida Sector 10, Greater Noida Sector 12 and Knowledge Park V will be built.

“Our plan is that we will construct the 9.1 km metro so that the Greater Noida West and Noida pockets get the connectivity and the remaining stretch of this route will be built later,” said Krunesh.

The DPR of the 14.9-km Aqua Line extension corridor was approved by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2019 itself, said NMRC officials, adding that the work got delayed because of approvals from the government of India.

“We have resolved all issues and the metro project will be built on priority in view of the population influx in Greater Noida West. The approvals from the central government come soon and then we will begin work at the site,” said Krunesh.