Ballabgarh Metro to miss June deadline

Bijendra Ahlawat

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 19

The Metro Rail extension project to Ballabgarh is likely to miss June deadline on account of pending work involving electrical, mechanical and operational system network.

“The cumulative progress of civil works till January is 95 per cent and the line is targeted for completion in September 2018, subject to availability of land and funds from HUDA,” says the official website of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

The project was launched in May 2015 and was expected to be completed in March 2016. The first revised deadline of December 2017 had to be extended to June this year due to hurdles in acquiring land for erecting pillars and removal or shifting of water, sewer, telephone and power lines in Ballabgarh. A committee comprising senior officials of HUDA, Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) was set up in June 2015 to resolve the problem.

“The land dispute resulted in loss of precious time and overall delay in completion of the project,” said an official on condition of anonymity. While the work to build train stations has been completed, only five per cent of the civil work remains unfinished.

The Metro Rail extension project from YMCA Chowk in Faridabad to Ballabgarh will have two stations at NCB Colony and Ballabgarh. The foundation stone of the project was laid on June 22, 2014. It is likely to benefit 20,000 commuters from Ballabgarh.