by THO
The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) on Wednesday said it is all set to start the construction work on the 11.56km Metro link between Botanical Garden station and Sector 142 Metro station in the next three months as the central government final approval may come anytime now.
The NMRC will complete the topography survey in the next one month paving way for work to start at the site. Along with the topography survey, soil testing is also underway on this route, said Noida Metro officials.
The NMRC has two Metro projects in the pipeline — 11.56km Botanical Garden to Sector 142 link, and a 5km link from Noida’s Sector 51 to Greater Noida West’s Knowledge Park-5. The NMRC made detailed project reports on both these projects and sent them to the central government for final approvals.
Currently, Greater Noida and Noida are not directly connected to the Delhi Metro via Noida Metro’s 29.7km Aqua Line corridor. Also, this connectivity to Delhi Metro’s Blue Line, which enters via Mayur Vihar and ends at Sector 62’s Electronic City Metro station, is not a seamless one. The new 11.56km link will make the connectivity seamless, taking the Metro closer to the greenfield Noida international airport in Jewar.
“We want to start work on the 11.56km Metro link on priority because it will not only take direct Metro connectivity to distant pockets of Greater Noida but also towards the upcoming Noida airport. We are completing all formalities related with the 11.56 km Metro link so that the work can start without any delay,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer, Noida authority.
NMRC has also started a topography survey on this 11.56 km route before the work begins at the ground. In the topography survey the NMRC is studying the longitude and latitude of tall buildings, houses, markets and other areas through which this Metro will pass.
“A topography study is crucial to fix the alignment of the Metro link, while keeping in mind the hurdles and challenges. The survey will be over shortly as the central government will soon settle the funding pattern and also approve the DPR, paving way for work to begin at the site,” said another NMRC official, asking not to be named.
The NMRC had on December 27, 2023, approved the DPR of the 11.56km Metro link from Botanical Garden Metro station on Delhi Metro’s Blue Line to Sector 142 station on Noida Metro’s Aqua Line. It aims to provide direct connectivity between Greater Noida and the Delhi Metro by creating a branch to the existing Blue Line.
The project was first approved during NMRC’s 38th board meeting held in December, 2023, said officials. According to the Lokesh M, who is also the managing director of the NMRC, this crucial link will provide connectivity from Noida and Greater Noida to Delhi areas.
“Once built, this route will connect Greater Noida directly with Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line on which Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport is located, and also the Blue Line,” he said.
Lokesh M said the NMRC board has approved ₹2,254.35 crore for constructing the project.
Botanical Garden station also serves as the NCR’s first interchange station, linking commuters to Blue Line (Noida City Centre to Dwarka Sector 21) and the Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden corridor. Now, as per the DPR, there will be eight Metro stations on the new link — Botanical Garden, Sector 44, Noida’s new building in Sector 96, Sector 97, Sector 105, Sector 108, Sector 93 and Panchsheel Balak Inter College in Sector 91.
The Noida authority is also constructing a bus terminal at Botanical Garden to enable commuters to use both the Metro, and bus to travel from Delhi to Noida and Greater Noida.
