DPR of new Metro link connecting Gurugram, Delhi to be presented before Khattar

The much-delayed Metro extension project connecting Palam Vihar and Dwarka Sector 21 may finally get a boost as the detailed project report has been finalised and will be discussed in a meeting chaired by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar at the PWD guest house in Gurugram on Wednesday evening.

A letter issued by the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Ltd said that the final report has been prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited, more popularly known as RITES, and it envisages the estimated cost of the project at 2,281 crore. The Metro extension project is likely to become operational in 2027 if it gets an approval from the Haryana government.

The letter issued on May 12, a copy of which is with HT, also said RITES officials will make a presentation of the project before the chief minister on Wednesday.

According to the detailed project report, the spur or metro extension connecting Rezangla Chowk in Palam Vihar and Dwarka Sector 21 station will be 8.4km long, of which 5km will be from Palam Vihar to Sector 111 in Gurugram and remaining 3.4 km will be in Delhi. The DPR recommended that this corridor will have seven Metro stations, with an interchange proposed at Rezangla Chowk in Palam Vihar to allow connectivity with the main Gurugram Metro line proposed from Huda City Centre to Cyber City via Old Gurugram and Palam Vihar.

The Metro stations have been proposed at Chauma village, Sector 110-A, Sector 111, Sector 28 in Dwarka, IECC and finally at Dwarka Sector 21, where an interchange will be constructed to facilitate connectivity with the existing Blue line and the Metro line going towards Delhi airport. All the stations will be elevated, said the letter.

The construction of the Metro extension project will require two hectares of additional land in Sector 101 and the DPR projects the requirement of around 60,000 sq metre land for construction of stations, platforms, entry exit structures and power lines and other civil works.

The operation and maintenance cost of the project has been pegged at 65.61 crore in 2027 and 88.19 crore in 2031. The DPR states that the revenue for this route will mainly comprise fare collection and earnings from property development, advertisements, parking etc. It estimates revenue generation of 326 crore in 2027 and projects another 447 crore by 2031.

Amit Arya, media advisor to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said boosting infrastructure and extending the Metro line to Dwarka have been on the priority list of the state government. “The proposed extension will boost connectivity between Gurugram and Delhi from the Dwarka side and will help thousands of commuters. The project will also reduce vehicular traffic on roads and cut pollution,” said Arya adding that all details are expected to be discussed in the meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

In May 2019, Khattar had issued directions that feasibility of a separate metro extension connecting Dwarka and Palam Vihar should be assessed, after which the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) asked RITES to conduct a techno-feasibility study of the route and submit a detailed report.

HMRTC officials did not comment on the detailed project report that will be presented on Wednesday despite repeated attempts.

The Dwarka Metro extension project was conceived in 2014 but it has remained on paper despite several project reports being prepared by different agencies.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) had prepared the DPR of this project and recommended extension of Blue line from Sector-21 in Dwarka to Iffco Chowk in Gurugram in 2015 but the project could not be executed due to a host of reasons, which included route alignment, mode of building and operation among others.

Another proposal was floated in 2016 to connect Iffco Chowk to Sector-21, Dwarka, and extend the Metro link to Old Gurugram in 2016 but this project was also not found feasible. Since then, the project to connect Gurugram and Dwarka by Metro failed to take off.

However, senior Haryana government officials said that the latest proposal is likely to be approved to ensure better connectivity between the two cities.

Meanwhile, the larger Metro project connecting Huda City Centre to Cyber City is still under the consideration of Union ministry of housing and urban affairs for the last few months and is awaiting clearance.

Professor Sewa Ram, a transport expert from School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, said the proposed Metro extension between Palam Vihar and Dwarka was a much needed mobility link that will help people between two cities to commute with ease. “Right now, only one side of Gururgam has metro connectivity with Delhi; the same is missing in Old Gururgam, which is densely populated. The proposed Huda metro line will be connected with this spur and improve connectivity. It will also reduce vehicles on roads and cut down pollution,” he said.