The Chandigarh Administration on Wednesday (July 5) decided that it would involve all the stakeholders — Haryana and Punjab to prepare the alternative analysis report (AAR) and a detailed project report (DPR) for the Metro Rail project. The administration is looking forward to developing the reports as per the guidelines of the Government of India.
The development comes after the approval was received on a long-awaited Tricity metro project by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in June.
The officials conducted a meeting under the chairmanship of UT Adviser Dharam Pal with M/s RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) Ltd on Wednesday to discuss the future course of action and comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) for Tricity.
In the meeting, RITES presented the guidelines, procedures, and policies for planning the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in line with the MoHUA’s Metro Rail Policy. Moreover, the RITES has already prepared a CMP for the Tricity area, Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula — which includes the approved metro project along with bus corridors that crisscross through the region.
As the meeting concluded the officials from the Union Territory ascertained that there is a need to prepare the AAR and DPR – which will be submitted to the centre for approval after receiving a nod from Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA)/state government.
According to a The Indian Express report, a statement issued by the administration read, “Therefore, it was decided that the meeting of Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA) may be convened at the earliest for engagement of agency for preparation of AAR & DPR.”
The Tricity Metro Proposal
Notably, the alternative analysis report is a crucial document in determining the best alternative mode to meet the transportation demand — including Metro, Metrolite, or MetroNeo, while the DPR will give insight into the cost estimates, institutional arrangement, financials, design, planning and implementation plan for the best recommended MRTS mode.
Once the AAR and DPR are prepared by the Chandigarh Administration, all three reports, including the Comprehensive Mobility Plan, will be sent to the ministry for their go-ahead.
The Central government will then decide if the proposed plan is best suited for the city or not and will evaluate the financial viability of the same.
Metro project after 14 years
Finally, after a hiatus of over 14 years of a long debate of having or not having a Metro, approval for Chandigarh and the Tricity area was given for Metro rail after both Punjab and Haryana governments approved the same with Chandigarh.
The proposed metro network spans 48 kilometers, out of which 38 km would be completed in the first phase and 10 km in the second phase. This development aims to address the growing traffic challenges in the Tricity area. According to the reports, the project is expected to cost over Rs 10,570 crore and includes plans for Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, Zirakpur, New Chandigarh, and Pinjore. The projects will incorporate bus terminals, depots, and improvements at busy intersections as well.