Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (KMRC), has hit upon a technical solution to lay the East West Metro lines through the Duttabad slum area.
As the slum dwellers are opposing the original plan to construct approximately 14 pillars in the area, the metro authorities have now opted for technology solution to reduce the use of land in the 365 metre-curve that is home to over 150 families.
Duttabad falls between Bengal Chemical and City Centre stations of the proposed metro link.
“We have already floated a fresh tender for balanced cantilever technology to continue construction of pillars in the 365-metre stretch over Duttabad. We expect to resume work by the end of April in that stretch,” Mr Subrata Gupta, managing director, KMRC, told
Balanced cantilever technology will help continue the construction work atop the pillars and not require any makeshift support, thereby not occupying lands.
The Rs 5,000-crore project, linking a 14.58-km corridor between Howrah Maidan in the West and the IT city Salt Lake in the East, has already been delayed by two years from its original deadline for completion in 2014.
However, asked about the cost overruns for the delay in the project, Mr Gupta did not specify any figures.
Of the 14.58-km link, the 5.77-km elevated portion will connect six stations between Sector V and Salt Lake stadium. The rest of it – an underground stretch of 8.9 km – will link Salt Lake stadium with Howrah Maidan to cover six stations in between.
Hurdle near City Centre
The project is currently facing another hurdle for constructing three pillars near the City Centre stations as residents of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's sweepers quarters refuse to relocate.
According to Mr Gupta, even as KMRC has constructed an alternative building for the residents of the quarter, they are not ready to move out. “This is completely halting the constructions works before City Centre station,” he added.