GURUGRAM (Metro Rail News): On Wednesday, Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL) conducted the first board meeting where it was decided that the company would appoint a full-time managing director. The MD would be appointed after the model code of conduct is revoked, i.e., after the Lok Sabha polls. All formalities related to handing over the project from HMRTC to GMRL were also completed.
Presently, TL Satyaprakash, managing director of the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC), who is also the chief administrator of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), has been appointed as the managing director of GMRL. D Thara, additional secretary of Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has been appointed as the chairperson of GMRL.
During the meeting, chairperson D Thara also asked the GMRL to focus on transit-oriented development along this metro line. It was decided that the metro authority would work in close coordination with the Department of Town and Country Planning to ensure that residents living around benefitted from the metro extension. Monetisation of land and development of infrastructure along the line will also be key objectives of this extension project.
The GMRL board also decided that a competition will soon be organised to design a logo for the Gurugram metro and to choose a tagline. The announcement of the competition will be made soon. It has been concluded that the decision regarding the appointment of a detailed design consultant will be taken within a month.
On February 16, PM Narendra Modi performed the inauguration of the Gurugram metro extension project in Rewari.
The Gurugram metro extension project would connect the Huda City metro station now called Millennium City Centre metro station to Cyber Hub through Subhash Chowk, Krishna Chowk, and Sector 22. The route would be a total of 28.5 kilometers long. The 26.65-kilometer loop would cover the entire old Gurugram. It also approved a 1.85 km prompt to the newly inaugurated Dwarka expressway. The route would include 27 stops and an interchange station. The 27 elevated metro stations would be located at Sector 45, Cyber Park, Sector 46, Sector 47, Sector 48, Technology Park, Udyog Vihar Phase 6, Sector 10, Sector 37, Basai, Sector 9, Sector 7, Sector 4, Sector 5, Ashok Vihar, Sector 3, Krishna Chowk, Palam Vihar Extension, Palam Vihar, Sector 23 A, Sector 22, and Udyog Vihar Phase 4. The estimated cost of the entire Metro project is ₹5,450 crore.
On Wednesday, the first trench to perform the geotechnical survey for the Gurugram metro project was dug near the Millennium City metro station earlier known as the HUDA metro station. The survey is expected to be completed in four to five months. Initially, the survey will be conducted for the first 14 kilometers. As part of the geotechnical survey, the consultant will provide a complete description of the soil and rocks along with the test result and analysis for every km of the stretch. The procedure of the survey will include digging boreholes in rocks underground, conducting standard penetration tests, collecting soil samples from boreholes, and recording the water table.
The Gurugram metro project was envisioned in 2017 but it has not been successful since then. The project has faced delays due to various changes in the route alignment and finalisation of the detailed project report (DPR). Residents of the city have been demanding a metro rail in Gurugram for several years as they have been using private vehicles to commute within the city due to the absence of a quality mass transport system.
