Metro construction to kick off from Sept

Kanpur: The city’s much-awaited utility project, Metro rail, will soon become a reality as construction work will commence from September.
MD Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation Kumar Keshav and vice-chairman of Kanpur Development Authority Kinjal Singh, besides other senior officials decided to run the Metro train in the city by July 2021 at a high-level meeting held here on Tuesday. In the first phase, the Metro rail would run between IIT and Moti Jheel on an elevated track.
Addressing the officials, Kumar Keshav said all hurdles should be removed before commencing the work and sought a no-objection certificate from the departments concerned.
“All issues related to the project must be solved by the end of July so that work tenders could be floated and construction work commences from September,” he said.
After the meeting, he inspected the Metro rail route as well as the sites fixed for the stations.
The MD also witnessed the construction of Metro yard on the Polytechnic premises and expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work. “Work for this project had started in October 2016, but only 60% has been completed till now. It should be completed at the earliest,” he directed the officials.
Kumar Keshav also expressed dissatisfaction over the space available at the Metro office situated at Vastra Bhawan near Gurudev Palace.
He told the officials that the site was not appropriate for the project and directed them to find a new place for the office.
When the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials informed him that movement of vehicles would be effected due to the work, the MD directed the officials to build a seven-metre-wide road on both sides of Metro tracks.
He directed the forest department officials not to unnecessarily cut the trees coming under the ambit of the project. “Instead of cutting, efforts should be made to shift as many trees as possible,” he added.
The MD also collected information about electricity poles and PNJ and potable water lines coming in the way of the Metro project from the officials of Kesco, CUGL and Jal Nigam.
On the issue of crossing at GT Road and traffic jams, the officials informed the MD that flyovers were under consideration under the project at places of regular traffic jams but many issues remained to be resolved.