The development of Kolkata Metro’s Purple Line is set to experience a delay due to the recent order of the Calcutta High Court. The HC has restrained Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) from uprooting trees for constructing a Metro station in the city’s Maidan area. The purple line will connect Joka with Esplanade (Dharmatala).
The division bench passed a limited order of injunction on RVNL to stop uprooting of trees in the Maidan area and listed the matter for hearing on November 9th.
Joka-Esplanade Corridor:-
At present, the Joka-Taratala stretch of the Purple Line is in operation. The construction work of Majerhat Metro station has reached its final phase and is likely to be commissioned soon. With the commissioning of Majerhat – Esplanade section, commuting from south-western part of Kolkata i.e. Taratala, Behala, Thakurpukur and Joka areas to Central Kolkata will be smooth and easy.
Construction of Victoria Metro station:-
The Victoria Metro station will be constructed underground beside the Victoria Memorial Hall. RVNL has started barricading around 5000 sq meter area for construction of this underground station. In order to construct this station, Fountain of Joy at Kolkata Maidan will be dismantled first and reconstructed again after completion of construction work. In a statement, the country’s oldest metro network said, “Several trees will also be transplanted to pave the way for this work.”
About Joka-Taratala stretch
The commercial service on the Joka-Taratala stretch commenced on January 02, 2023. This 6.5-km-long section was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing last year. The stretch has been constructed at a cost of more than Rs 2,475 crore. The people living in the southern part of the city like Sarsuna, Dakghar, Muchipara and South 24 Parganas. There are six metro stations on this stretch – Joka, Thakurpukur, Sakher Bazar, Behala Chowrasta, Behala Bazar, and Taratala.