Haryana govt nod for Metro extension between Palam Vihar and Dwarka Sector 21

Residents of Gurugram and Dwarka have another reason to cheer this festive season with the Haryana cabinet on Wednesday approving the detailed project report (DPR) of the much delayed Metro extension between Palam Vihar in Gurugam and Sector 21 in Dwarka, a project that is expected to cost 1,851 crore.

A government spokesperson said Haryana will bear ₹1,541 crore of the project cost, while the remaining will be borne by the Centre.

According to the DPR, 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 in Gurugram — from Palam Vihar to Sector 111 — and the remaining 3.4km in Delhi.

This corridor will have seven 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.

During the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar also accorded approval to the gross project cost of ₹1,687 crore along with the state government’s share of ₹1,541 crore, the spokesperson said.

Apart from that, approval was also given to nominate the administrative secretary, town and country planning department, as the nodal officer for the signing of agreements and other related project documents.

“This project will boost connectivity between Gururgram and Delhi and benefit thousands of commuters who travel between the two cities daily. This Metro extension will result in a reduction in buses, intermediate public transport (IPT), usage of private vehicles and air pollution,” said Khattar.

The proposed metro spur will have an interchange with the Gurugram metro corridor at Palam Vihar station, another at IECC station, on the Airport Express line, and third one at Sector 21 Dwarka metro station. The line will also have an interchange with Dwarka Expressway at Sector 110-A, the spokesperson said.

Stations have been proposed at Chauma village, Sector 110-A, Sector 111, Sector 28 in Dwarka, IECC and finally at Dwarka Sector 21. All stations will be elevated.

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 square metres of land for construction of stations, platforms, entry/exit structures, power lines and other civil works.

Ajit Balaji Joshi, managing director, Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC), said the proposal will now be sent to the Union government for the next round of approvals. “The share of the Haryana government is ₹1,541 crore and the remaining will be borne by the Centre. All efforts will be made to complete the project at the earliest and within deadline,” he said.

Joshi further said permission to set up Metro stations and other infrastructure will be taken from Delhi government later. “As Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has set up operations here, likewise we will set up stations there,” he said.

Karan Singh, director, HMRTC, said the 8.4km spur, added with the 28km HUDA extension project, will greatly enhance connectivity within Gurugram and also Delhi.

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

The DMRC prepared a 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 for a host of reasons, which included route alignment, mode of building and operation.

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 that project was found not feasible. Since then, the project to connect Gurugram and Dwarka by Metro has failed to take off.

To be sure, the larger Metro project — connecting Huda City Centre to Cyber City — is still under the consideration of Union ministry of housing and urban affairs since the past few months and officials said it is likely to get clearance soon.