Prime Minister Narendra Modi will do Bhumi pujan of Pune Metro on December 24

Pune – After years of wait, Pune Metro plan is all set to see light of the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Pune on December 24 for the ground breaking ceremony (bhumi pujan) of the metro train project.

The first line of the Pune Metro will run from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate. This line will be elevated till Range Hills and then will be underground up to Swargate. This line will be further extended to Nigdi and Katraj/Hadapsar. This route will go via Bhosari, Khadki and Shivajinagar.

Background

The preparation of detailed project report (DPR) work was undertaken by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and they submitted their report on 15 August 2008. In 2010, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) delayed submitting the proposal to the Union government to make provisions in the annual budget for the project. Due to red tape and bureaucracy, the DPR was approved by the Maharashtra government only on 12 June 2012.

Pune Metro Rail Corporation (PMRC), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to execute for the project, will be formed.

Elevated or underground?

Initial plans were to build a few sections underground and the rest elevated. However, citizens of Pune did not want elevated routes as they felt that the roads could not bear the increased traffic would result from the construction. Most roads were also too narrow to accommodate the pillars of elevated routes. It was decided that all the routes in the city would be underground, although the map and the details of phases showed elevated routes. In November 2011, the Maharashtra Government declared that all the routes would be underground. However, in April 2012, the PMC declared that all routes will be as per the DMRC report, mostly elevated and partially underground (in core city areas).

Pune Metro routes

Phase I

The two routes that have been identified for the first phase are:

Vanaz – Ramwadi, via Deccan Gymkhana, Yerwada (14.9 km, elevated)

Chinchwad – Pimpri – Swargate, via Agriculture college (16.5 km, elevated/underground from Range Hills)

Phase II

The second phase of the project will contain two lines and the extension of first phase:

ASI to Hinjawadi via Aundh (18 km elevated)

Deccan Gymkhana to Bund Garden Via Swargate and Race Course (11 km under ground)

Extension of lines from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Nigdi and Swargate to Katraj (11.5 km elevated)

Extension of lines from Aundh to Hinjawadi and Ramwadi to Kharadi Naka (13 km elevated)

Extension of lines from Ramwadi to Viman Nagar Airport (elevated)

Future expansion

The following routes and extensions have been proposed:

Agriculture college – Warje via JM road and Karve road (9 km elevated)

Extension from Bund Garden to Vishrantwadi (underground)

Extension from Race Course to Hadapsar (elevated)

Link from Bhosari to Moshi to link with Moshi-Chakan-New Pune International Airport (elevated)

Cost

The project cost will be funded by the PMC (10%), the state government (20%), the Union government (20%) and the remaining 50% will be obtained from loans. The state government’s share of 20% includes the expenses of acquiring land, including government land, at market price.