E-Paper
Phase 1-B of Jaipur Metro to be completed by October, likely to be operational by year-end
The construction of 2.34km stretch of the metro connecting Chandpole to Badi Chaupad was to be completed by March 2018. But several extensions to the deadline led to rise in construction cost.
The ongoing work for Jaipur Metro phase 1-B will be completed by October, six years after it was commissioned in October 2013, said Subir Kumar, managing director of the Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) on Monday.
The construction of 2.34km stretch of the metro connecting Chandpole to Badi Chaupad was to be completed by March 2018.
The March 2018 deadline was extended to September 2018, citing certain construction difficulties.
The deadline was further extended to December 2018. In another extension, the deadline was shifted to August 2019.
The extended deadlines for the metro led to rise in the construction cost. The metro was supposed to be constructed at an approximate cost of ₹886 crore, but the present cost of the project is estimated to be Rs1,126 crore, according to the metro officials.
“We will complete the construction of phase 1-B by October this year and the file will be sent to commissioner of railway safety for approval. We will request him to go through the procedure as early as possible. We will then try to make the metro operational by the end of the year,” said Kumar, while addressing a press conference in Jaipur.
He said that since the Chandpole metro station became operational in June 21, 2015, nearly 30 million commuters have travelled through the station.
“We have achieved 100% accident-free service for the Jaipur Metro. Punctuality of the service has been 99.98% and 30% of the electricity is also conserved through regenerative brake. Solar panels will soon be set up on the roofs of the metro where more energy would be conserved,” said Kumar.
The unused lands of the JMRC will be commercialised, so as to generate revenue, said Kumar.
