Remove plantation from elevated road, DMRC tells JDA

JAIPUR: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has issued warning to the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) that plantation on the double-deck elevated road that is constructed over Ajmer Road, could damage the structure, due to extra load.

The warning was issued after the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) recently visited the city to conduct safety inspection of the Jaipur Metro before running it on Automatic Train Operation (ATO) mode. It was revealed, the extra load of plants and soil could damage the structure. Moreover, seepage of water into pillars through plant roots could lead to deterioration. A senior engineer at JDA said, “The DMRC has asked JDA not to plant trees, as this was not the part of design.”

With an aim to ease traffic congestion on busy Ajmer Road in Jaipur, India’s first three-deck elevated track, costing around Rs 240 crore, was constructed with a metro line on top. The length of elevated road towards Ajmer is 2.95 km, and 4.63 km from Ajmer side to Jaipur. The Metro will run from Sodala to Civil Lines on the second level and it will have a length of 1.6 km.

On deck three, a metro runs continuously. Any damage in structure would not only risk the commuters at the first level, but also people sitting in the metro. “The height of the elevated road is approximately seven metres and the metro on the route will run at a height of 20 metres. The agency has to be extra cautious and the structure should be thoroughly maintained and checked as safety cannot be compromised,” the source said.

Sources at the JDA said, the civic body has spent more than Rs two crore to plant trees on the elevated road. Due to lack of planning, these plants would be uprooted, which would lead to wastage of public money. An official at horticulture wing said, “So far, we have not received any directions to remove the plantation.”