NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): The Supreme Court declined to prevent construction on Phase IV of the Delhi Metro project, noting that any disruption in that direction would cause a significant cost rise, resulting in a key decision that ease the way for the project’s completion.
A petition arguing that the underground Metro is significantly more economically viable than the elevated Metro was being heard by justices B R Gavai and Vikram Nath.
Dr P. C. Prasad and Aditya N. Prasad claimed in their petition that cutting down more than 11,000 trees for the project would negatively impact the national capital’s ambient air quality when pollution is at “critical” levels.
The supreme court observed that major development initiatives like the Metro Rail would serve billions of people and cut carbon emissions due to decreased automobiles on the road, adding that environmental considerations are also significant. The judge also indicated that uprooted trees could be planted.
The court urged Delhi Metro to exercise care going forward when developing further phases.
Through the Phase IV project, which might include up to 11 new interchange stations, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is preparing for a massive expansion to increase the Metro’s connectivity to the National Capital Region’s outlying suburbs.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) approved an expenditure for the Phase-IV project of Rs 1,000 crore last month, with a provision of Rs 350 crore in the budget projection for 2023–2024.
The Delhi Metro Phase 4 will have six corridors: Aerocity to Tughlakabad, Inderlok to Indraprastha, Lajpat Nagar to Saket G Block, Mukundpur to Maujpur, Janakpuri West to R K Ashram, and Rithala to Bawana and Narela.
The project is anticipated to take an additional two years to complete, even though the completion date for Phase 4 is December 2024.
