Home Blog Page 906

Lucknow Metro|Lucknow Metro Rail project yet to get clearance from Public Investment Board

Narendra Shah
-
0
Lucknow Metro|Lucknow Metro Rail project yet to get clearance from Public Investment Board

Lucknow: With the Lucknow Metro Rail project yet to get clearance from Union Ministry of Finance’s Public Investment Board (PIB), the state government has decided to complete the first stretch of the work with its own resources in order to meet the deadline of December next year — UP will go to polls in 2017.

Officials said the government will spend around Rs 2,000 crore from the state exchequer to complete the 8.3-km priority section stretch from Transport Nagar to Charbagh. This Rs 2,000 crore will be a part of the state’s share of the total project cost — worth Rs 6,880 crore — for the entire North-South corridor from Amausi to Munshipulia.

The decision is likely to mount pressure on the Centre to ensure that PIB clearance is issued at the earliest to ensure that UP cannot blame the Union government for any delay in the implementation of the project.

The Metro project is being projected as the lifeline Lucknow — Lok Sabha constituency of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. While the Centre has to bear 20 per cent of the total project cost, UP will pay around 27 per cent while the rest of the funding will come in the form of loans from various agencies.

However, neither the Centre can release its share, nor the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) — the project’s executing agency — could seek loan until it has been approved by PIB.

The PIB, for this project, has been formed under the chairmanship of Secretary (Expenditure) of Union Ministry of Finance.

The first meeting of PIB for the project was held in August last year. The Centre had allocated Rs 50 crore for the project in the Budget for 2014-15. But that fund could not be released in the absence of the PIB’s clearance. In the current financial year, Centre allocated Rs 173 crore but even that is awaiting PIB’s clearance. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled on August 6 in Delhi and the state government officials are expecting to get the clearance then.

However, sources said that even after the PIB’s clearance, it will take another two to three months for the state to actually get the Centre’s share of funds and loan from other agencies.

“We are hopeful to the get PIB nod in the next meeting,” said Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of LMRC. Keshav added that the state government has given a commitment to complete the first 8.3-km stretch of the project from its own resources so that a trial run could begin by December 2016.

Construction work on the first stretch of the project had started in September 2014. The state government had provided Rs 20 crore for the project in 2013-14, Rs 90 core in 2014-15 and Rs 425 crore is required in the current financial year.

Out of the assured Rs 425 crore, LMRC has so far reportedly received Rs 100 crore from the UP government. Transfer of the remaining fund from agencies such as UP Housing and Development Board, Lucknow Development Authority and UPSIDC is in the process.

Delhi Metro|140% rise in crime in Delhi Metro in a year

Narendra Shah
-
0

New Delhi: There has been a rise of 140 per cent in the number of crimes including theft and pick-pocketing in Delhi Metro’s jurisdiction in NCR from 2013 to 2014.

In a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said that “Metro is running with maximum capacity most of the time. The crime such as picking pockets, mobile theft, etc have increased with the increase in the ridership.”

“The ridership of Delhi Metro has risen to 2.6 million,” he told the Upper ouse

While 962 crimes were committed in Delhi-NCR areas under the jurisdiction of the metro in the year 2013, the figure rose to 2,309 within a year. The number of crimes has already touched 1,769 by June in 2015.

He said that there were eight Metro police stations in Delhi at Kashmere Gate, Shastri Park, Rithala, Raja Garden, Qutab Minar, Yamuna Bank, Kalkaji Mandir and IGIA. The corresponding figure for Gurgaon and Noida are one and three respectively.

“52 women personnel of Delhi Police have been deployed at the metro stations as well as in the metro rails,” he said.

Delhi Metro|DMRC tokens to be made available for micro advertising

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro|DMRC tokens to be made available for micro advertising

New Delhi: Delhi Metro tokens would soon be wrapped by micro advertisements, a move aimed at augmenting revenue by tapping the nearly eight-lakh-strong commuter base who use the circular coins.

While about 70 per cent commuters travel using smart cards as per Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) data, the rest, primarily visitors to the national capital, are dependent on tokens. Nearly 16,000 smart cards are sold every day from stations across the network.

Explaining the logic behind the step, DMRC officials said that on an average a token is circulated in three different hands within a day, thus providing “repetitive visibility” to different persons in different sections of the network.

“Moreover, tokens are mostly used by new travellers to Delhi. Hence, advertisement on tokens provide an attractive destination to the advertisers for wide publicity,” DMRC chief spokesman Anuj Dayal said.

The tokens, with an average diameter of 30 mm, provide printable space for advertisement at the centre with diameter of 25 mm, which can be viewed from both sides.

“This printable space shall be licensed to selected bidder for advertisement of its artwork in pursuant to bidding process,” the Request For Proposal (RFP) said.

Last December, the metro had leased out the outdoor bodies of its coaches to agencies, following which fully ad-wrapped trains were introduced on the network’s busiest corridors, namely Yellow and Blue lines.

Delhi Metro|All upcoming phase-III metro stations to have toilate facilty

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro|All upcoming phase-III metro stations to have toilate facilty

New Delhi: All upcoming metro stations including 32 of them under the Delhi Metro will have toilets, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Direction has been issued to all metro companies implementing metro projects under 50:50 joint venture partnership between the Centre and respective state and Union Territory (UT) governments to provide toilets in the paid areas of all proposed metro stations, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in a written reply.

He said all stations of metro projects being implemented under equal joint venture partnership between the Centre and respective state and UT governments have toilets in the paid and unpaid areas. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has informed that 32 of its upcoming stations under the Phase-III project in Delhi will have toilets in the paid area. Naidu further said there are no separate funds earmarked for construction of toilets at metro stations. Toilets are an integral part of the station design and the cost of construction of toilets is part of the project cost.

Nagpur Metro|Metro rail project workers living on the road

Narendra Shah
-
0
Nagpur Metro|Metro rail project workers living on the road

Nagpur: It seems Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) is not taking safety at its work sites seriously. The labourers engaged in the ongoing geotechnical investigation for Nagpur Metro are sleeping in makeshift tents pitched on the road, right where they are digging holes. They are at high risk of getting mowed down by a speeding vehicle that does not notice the diversion.

TOI team visited a Wardhaman Nagar site on Thursday, where the soil testing work was being conducted at various spots. An interaction with the labourers revealed that they have not been provided any accommodation facility by the contractor.

At one of the digging spots, around ten labourers from Uttar Pradesh and other states were cramped in a small tent with all their belongings, including clothes, utensils and sleeping mattresses. Adding to the risk, proper reflective radium tapes had not been put up to denote the obstruction on the road. Simple blue plastic drums were acting as barricades.

Light Metro Project|Decision on Light Metro for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode

Narendra Shah
-
1
Light Metro Project|Decision on Light Metro for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode

Thiruvananthapuram: The Cabinet is to take a call on the Rs.6,728-crore Light Metro proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on Wednesday.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Light Metro, in 35.12 km in the two cities, submitted by the DMRC on October 8, will come up before the Cabinet for the mandatory clearance, official sources told The Hindu.

State Planning Board Member and Principal Adviser, DMRC, E.

Sreedharan, who mooted the MRTS instead of the scrapped monorail, arrived in the capital on Tuesday night for consultations.

Mr. Sreedharan reached the capital after Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that he wanted to meet him ahead of the Cabinet meeting. As the Assembly is in session, the meeting will take place either at the Cliff House on Wednesday morning or at the legislature complex. The Cabinet will meet in the evening. Although the Light Metro figured in the agenda for the Cabinet meeting on July 15, it was deferred in the last minute.

Top officials of the PWD and Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd., the SPV set up under the PWD to execute the project, had a meeting with Minister for Public Works V.K. Ebrahim Kunju on Tuesday night and discussed the project.

The PWD has overruled the objections of the State Planning Board and the Finance Department and has recommended that the DMRC should be entrusted with the Light Metro on turn-key basis. The PWD has listed various funding options mooted by the DMRC in the DPR for the project along with Mr. Sreedharan’s proposal to secure STEP loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency .

The State Planning Board and Finance Department had mooted PPP mode instead of turn-key basis suggested by DMRC as in Kochi Metro. The Finance Department has asked the PWD to float global tenders.

Chennai Metro|Rain exposes poor Metro Rail building construction work

Narendra Shah
-
0

Chennai: Just a month after launch, poor quality of work at the Chennai Metro Rail stations has been exposed, with the roofs leaking and platforms flooded with water following heavy rain.

Commuters who travelled through Koyambedu and CMBT stations on Wednesday had to carefully tread on the granite flooring and staircases filled with pool of water at various places. For a brief period, one of the escalators in Koyambedu station stopped working.

The staff at CMBT Metro Rail station had placed buckets at the concourse level to collect water leaking from the roof. Commuters were clearly disappointed at the dismal state of stations, What is worse is that it was just 3 centimetres of rainfall (in Nungambakkam and 2 cm in Meenambakkam).

S. Gopalakrishnan, a first time rider of Chennai Metro Rail, looked at the leaking roofs in disbelief.

“I knew the traffic would grow worse during rain and hence chose to take Metro Rail to Alandur. I was quite eager to travel since it is my first ride; but I’m quite disappointed with the standard. A recently inaugurated building cannot afford to have leaking roofs. This place looks similar to the Chennai airport that had similar problems,” he added.

G.K. Dinakaran said he didn’t expect the stations to have buckets to collect leaking water.

“The floor is slippery in many places and it is difficult to spot pools of water on the granite flooring. Elderly persons may have to be careful or else they may slip and fall,” he added.

Officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited said they had deployed staff to clean the stations. “Also, we are taking steps to remove the water in stations. The problem will be sorted out soon,” an official said.

Delhi Metro|DMRC applies for Safety Clearance of Badarpur-Faridabad route

Narendra Shah
-
0
Delhi Metro|DMRC applies for Safety Clearance of Badarpur-Faridabad route

New Delhi: Three months after trial runs began on Badarpur-Faridabad corridor, Delhi Metro has applied for the safety clearance of this section paving the way for its much-awaited launch. Metro will make its foray into the satellite town of Faridabad through the fully elevated 14 km-long stretch, five years after it first entered Haryana at Gurgaon.

“The application requesting Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) to inspect the Faridabad corridor has been submitted by DMRC and we are awaiting a date for inspection of the corridor,” a metro spokesman said.

The corridor is an extension of the existing Mandi House -Badarpur Violet line (Line 6) of the network.

Apart from the Mujesar terminal station, the upcoming stations on this section are Sarai, NHPC Chowk, Mewala Maharajpur, Sector 28, Badkal Mor, Old Faridabad, Neelam Chowk Ajronda and Bata Chowk.

Delhi Metro|NGT pulls up DMRC for dumping waste in Yamuna

Narendra Shah
-
0

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has pulled up Delhi government, Delhi Jal Board and the corporations for failing to submit progress reports on steps taken by them for reducing pollution in the Yamuna. It also issued directions to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for dumping construction waste on the riverbed saying that if it was not removed by the next hearing on July 27, the managing director would have to personally appear before the bench to explain matters. “Some photographs show heavy debris, iron junk and other construction material belonging to DMRC lying in the Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar stretch, near Lalita park and old pontoon bridge.

Let DMRC remove all debris and other construction material . In the event of default, the managing director of DMRC shall personally appear before the tribunal on the next date of hearing,” said a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.

The bench, while monitoring the progress of the `Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna` Revitalization Project, 2017, pulled up the government for its failure to provide concrete details on sewage management in the city.

NGT slammed the government for not taking a final view on environment compensation payable by every household for generating sewage. “Have you taken any decision on environment compensation as per the `polluters pay principle`? Why don`t your officers move chairs? We are getting sick that we have to call your officers everyday and talk to them,” said Kumar.

Bullet Train Project|JICA submits final report on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route

Narendra Shah
-
0
Bullet Train Project|JICA submits final report on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route

New Delhi: The Japan International Cooperation Agency today submitted the final report on the feasibility study of the proposed high-speed rail system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route to the Indian Railways minister, estimating the ambitious project would cost Rs 988,050 million.

The bullet train aims to reduce the travel time on the 505-km long corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to two hours from the existing more than seven hours.

Japanese Ambassador to India Takeshi Yagi led the official JICA delegation for submitting of the report to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu here.

The report estimates that the country’s first bullet train running over 300 km per hour will cost Rs 988,050 million. It also suggested that its fare would be higher fare than that of the First AC of Rajdhani Express, said a senior ministry official involved with the project.

The final report submitted by the Japanese envoy assumes significance as the bullet train is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project.

Railways will examine the report and decide the future course of action, the official said.

As a follow-up action, a Cabinet note seeking approval for the project with an outline of the project feasibility and timelines is likely to be prepared next month.

If work begins in 2017, the line can be completed in 2023 and made operational in 2024.

After the study of the financial feasibility of the line, the final report suggests the fare of the bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad may be somewhere around one and half times more than the fare of the first AC of Rajdhani Express and it would be around Rs 2,800.

It is estimated that by 2023 around 40,000 passengers are expected to avail this service everyday and accordingly it would be a financially viable service.

Besides JICA, SNFC of France has already carried out a feasibility study of the route and has submitted the business model to the ministry.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is expected to enable trains to run at a top speed of 350 kmph.

From the initial estimated cost of Rs 650,000 million, it has has gone up after taking into account various factors like price escalation and interest.

According to the official, Japanese government has offered to fund the project at a low interest rate. However, the loan offer comes with the rider that 30 per cent of the rolling stock for the project would be sourced from Japanese firms.

A financial rate of return (RoR) of 4 per cent and an economic RoR of 12 per cent has been projected for the project.

The Japanese agency has suggested that the line be constructed on the internationally accepted “standard gauge”, as against certain opinions in the Railways that the “broad gauge” option be considered since India’s main line train operation is based on the broad gauge only.

JICA’s final report points out that high-speed running of over 300 kmph are done on the standard gauge across the world.

In his budget speech in March, Prabhu had said that “quick and appropriate action” on executing the high-speed project would be initiated after the submission of the JICA’s final report.

1...905906907...930Page 906 of 930