Campaigners & MP want Metro on original track
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Sep 25, 2017, 10.09 AM IST
BENGALURU: The explanations, provided by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) over the realignment of the Cantonment metro station, has not gone down well with citizen groups, including Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan (BJP).
The campaigners as well as the MP want BMRCL to stick to the design provided in the original detailed project report (DPR), and not make compromises. The BMRCL has been trying to reason with the campaigners that sticking to the old alignment would entail prohibitive costs and increase its financial burden, besides exposing metro users to avoidable safety issues.
Mohan, in whose constituency the project falls, has thrown his weight behind the campaigners, and has written to chief minister Siddaramaiah batting for a station closer to the existing Cantonment station. “When Phase I of Namma Metro was executed without any significant changes in the DPR, why not follow the same in Phase II, too, the MP asked. The BMRCL has changed the design without any technical evaluation, he alleged.
He challenged the BMRCL's claims that sticking to the original alignment would mean tunnelling 30-metres below the ground. The metro stations at Majestic and railway stations have been tunnelled only eight-metres, he said.
Rajkumar Dugar, a resident of Vasanth Nagar said, the BMRCL could have held consultations with metro users and stakeholders before deciding on the new alignment at the Cantonment station.
Srinivas Alavilli, a volunteer with Citizens for Bengaluru said, they would bring together experts, elected representatives and citizens for a round-table meeting in the first week of October.
The campaigners as well as the MP want BMRCL to stick to the design provided in the original detailed project report (DPR), and not make compromises. The BMRCL has been trying to reason with the campaigners that sticking to the old alignment would entail prohibitive costs and increase its financial burden, besides exposing metro users to avoidable safety issues.
Mohan, in whose constituency the project falls, has thrown his weight behind the campaigners, and has written to chief minister Siddaramaiah batting for a station closer to the existing Cantonment station. “When Phase I of Namma Metro was executed without any significant changes in the DPR, why not follow the same in Phase II, too, the MP asked. The BMRCL has changed the design without any technical evaluation, he alleged.
He challenged the BMRCL's claims that sticking to the original alignment would mean tunnelling 30-metres below the ground. The metro stations at Majestic and railway stations have been tunnelled only eight-metres, he said.
Rajkumar Dugar, a resident of Vasanth Nagar said, the BMRCL could have held consultations with metro users and stakeholders before deciding on the new alignment at the Cantonment station.
Srinivas Alavilli, a volunteer with Citizens for Bengaluru said, they would bring together experts, elected representatives and citizens for a round-table meeting in the first week of October.
