Noida: For the second time this year, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation’s efforts to find a company to build its second extension to Greater Noida – a line crucial for the connectivity of residential sectors and colonies not on or near the expressway – have ended in disappointment.
Tenders floated again for the Sector 51-Knowledge Park V section, a 15km corridor that will be built in two phases, had only two companies evincing interest this time, short of the minimum three required for the bidding process to begin. The NMRC has floated tenders again, hoping to be third time lucky.
“We have re-floated the tender. The last date for response is December 18,” NMRC MD Ritu Maheshwari told TOI. Manoj Vajpayee general manager (technical), NMRC, said, “Maybe, it’s the Covid situation for which not too many entities are coming forth to take up a big project like this one. We, however, hope this time we will get some serious responses. The last two times, just two valid companies expressed interest and that is not adequate. So, a re-tendering has become necessary.”
In the second round of tenders, which expired on November 20, NMRC received responses only from GR Infrastructure and SAM India Builtwell. Work on this extension is expected to now start in 2021. The detailed project report has been approved by the state cabinet. The 15km corridor will take the metro through Greater Noida (west), where thousands of delayed flats have been recently delivered to buyers and many more will be over the next few months and connect these areas to Delhi Metro’s Blue Line at Sector 51.
Of the total nine stations on the route, five are to be built in the first phase by 2022 – on a 9.6km with stations at sectors 122 and 123 in Noida and sectors 2, 4 and Ecotech 12 in Greater Noida. The estimated cost of construction is Rs 430 crore. All these stations will be on an elevated platform. The second phase will have four stations – sectors 3, 10 and 12 and Knowledge Park 5, all in Greater Noida.
Another key Aqua Line route, from Sector 142 to Botanical Garden, has been finalised by the NMRC, but it is being vetted by the metro board. The route alignment will then be sent to the Centre for approval. The Sector 51 to Knowledge Park V section had been lined up as the first off the blocks, but that now hinges entirely on the success of the third bid.
In June, three companies had responded to tenders for building the first phase of the Knowledge Park V corridor. They were Sam India Builtwell, NCC and Shrisay Infotech. Of them, Shrisay was ruled out.
The Botanical Garden extension is planned to run along the Noida expressway, through sectors 94, 125, 126, 97, 127, 98, 93, 91, 136 and 142.