Major Land Hurdle Cleared at Joka for Kolkata Metro’s Viaduct
I shared this news on Twitter the other day, but felt this win needed wider coverage. 2016 for Kolkata’s metro has been one of the most exciting years in recent memory and this news just adds to it.
As per a report in the Telegraph India, a 500 meter stretch of the 15.75 km Joka-Esplanade metro line will soon be free of encroachment courtesy of the West Bengal government’s decision to intervene and persuade 12 commercial units to move out! The encroached stretch is actually about 275m long, but nonetheless, the units on it have been blocking the construction of the line’s viaduct connecting to the depot for over 5 years now. Work for this line was inaugurated by the then President Pratibha Patil on September 22, 2010 and the construction contract for its elevated viaduct (Joka-Majerhat) was awarded to Simplex Infrastructures on December 28, 2010.
These units, like the 8 apartment buildings in Mahishbathan on the 32 km New Garia-Airport line’s route, came up after the route was finalized and the land for it, from the state irrigation department, had been acquired in 2011. The Indian Railways has since then been trying to free this stretch and even got the Calcutta High Court involved, which ordered the owners to move out last year, but they refused to do so. Fast forward to this Monday – Kolkata’s Mayor Sovan Chatterjee announced that the owners have finally agreed to fall in line and the structures on the line’s way will be razed in two months.
Satellite imagery of where the depot line’s viaduct abruptly ends due to encroachments:
Alignment of Joka-Esplanade line’s depot section – view Kolkata Metro map and information
Joka Depot’s layout – Source: Rajesh Prasad
But that’s not the end of trouble for this line. Land for the depot’s construction is also not in the railways’ possession as the owners have so far refused the compensation offered to them. Just a few weeks ago, the Central Government published a new notice in The Gazette of India to acquire the requisite land. If things work out this time around, then groundwork for both the depot and the viaduct leading up to it should start towards the end of the year.
For more updates, check out the Kolkata section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Is there is also a gap at ip extension. There is partly demolished building that is coming between two pillars. Work is going on 3 pillars are left segment launcher has been established. Please confirm that there is gap there, or it is not a hurdle of pink line.
Work is underway at 2 locations on NH24 – one for the line and another for the depot’s line. Seems like DMRC has now got NHAI’s approval for their design.
Hey TMRG, I just read this post
http://m.hindustantimes.com/delhi/aap-govt-clears-metro-phase-iv-six-new-lines-to-come-up/story-4gIK9Zxk1mvQYLAimv9zyH.html
Can u confirm it. Because the janakpuri west to rk ashram marg line is back and the dwarka prem piao line has vanished. Although it is good for phase 4 but is this official or just another media gimmick.
Hi, I’m waiting for an official press release or confirmation from other sources. A senior correspondent with another media house is not aware of this approval.
Btw I like how the HT author calls it “AAP Govt” instead of “Delhi Govt” and believes construction will start in 2017 and take 3 years.
U r right.. 3 years is a very short deadline. Even if the construction starts in 2017, I suppose the whole phase 4 will get operational only in 2021-2022, that too if there are no funny things to crop up in between like it did in phase 3. As for addressing the delhi govt as AAP govt, we all know the media is always interested in reporting things through a political scenario. Anyway, do post whenever u get an official confirmation.
I was talking about the viaduct after ip extension that leads to anand vihar there the partly demolished building is coming between two pillars.