Guwahati metro rail work likely to begin soon

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, April 9: The ambitious  metro rail project in Guwahati  will soon be a reality if the feasibility report submitted  by government enterprise RITES to Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is accepted in the next review meeting.    

“The proposed project of Metro rail in Guwahati city  will be started soon if the feasibility report submitted by RITES  is accepted in the next meeting of GMDA,” Sajad Alom, Development Officer of GMDA told this reporter.

He said that  RITES has already completed their initial survey on the Metro rail project in the city and submitted the feasibility report to GMDA.

“We are planning  to implement  the same soon after the committee meeting of GMDA,” Alom added.

The proposed Metro Rail project will connect the city’s north bank via a road-cum-railway bridge over the Brahmaputra at rengi (south bank) and Kuruwa (north bank). According to the state PWD (highway), 2- lane metro rail tracks will be incorporated in the design of the six-lane bridge. The total project cost for the first phase is expected to be around Rs 14,000 crore. The Assam government has desigted Rs 1,800 crore as its share in the project, with GMDA being desigted the nodal agency.

The concept paper and terms of reference for rail Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in Guwahati was approved by the Union urban development ministry in July, 2013. Sources in GDD said it will take at least six years to complete the first phase of the metro rail project in the city.