Chennai Metro begins soil tests in T Nagar as part of phase 2

CHENNAI: Amid fear that many residents may lose homes and public spaces due to phase 2 of metro rail construction, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has begun soil tests in T Nagar, a core city area. Metro rail network in the locality has been planned as part of the 26.1km corridor 4 that stretches from Lighthouse to Poonamallee in the 118.9km phase 2.

On Wednesday, workers were busy drilling boreholes to collect soil samples at Venkatanarayana Road, closer to the Nandanam metro station.

“Soil tests have started in certain areas on the corridor. The tests will be completed before the end of this year,” said a metro rail official.

At least two underground stations — named Natesan Park and Panagal Park have been planned to link the city’s biggest shopping hub with the rest of the phase 2 network. The corridor from Lighthouse to Poonamallee will cut across several core areas like Mylapore, T Nagar, Kodambakkam and Vadapalani. It will also link Valasarvakkam, Porur, Iyyapanthangal, Karayanchavadi and Poonamallee, localities that are fast-developing and traffic-heavy, but not well connected through public transportation. The corridor was initially planned from Lighthouse to CMBT and was later extended to Poonamallee to link localities planned to be served by monorail earlier.

Meanwhile, residents have come together to protest the CMRL bid to take over their homes to build the network under corridor 4. They also fear that they may lose greenery and parks in their areas.

Initially, stations were planned at both Natesan and Panagal parks but were later changed as Natesan Park would be too close to the Nandanam metro station. However, officials said a station would come up at Panagal Park and the park would be closed. “We have moved the location of Natesan Park station a little away,” an official earlier said.

It is to be recalled that Thiru Vi Ka Park in Shenoy Nagar was closed in 2011 and several trees were axed or transplanted elsewhere to make way for an underground station. The park is yet to be restored and opened.

In December 2018, residents had written to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention into CMRL’s plan to acquire their property to build Kodambakkam station. In the petition, they said the CMRL had proposed to acquire private property on the eastern side of the Kodambakkam suburban railway station, where nearly 200 families have been residing for several years, to build the underground Kodambakkam metro station.