Electronics City inches closer to being on metro map

Tenders called for works on HSR Layout–Bommasandra stretch

KARNATAKA - BENGALURU - 20/11/2016 : Green line Namma Metro Train arriving at National College station for the first time on the southern side on the city, since the completion of the elevated sections of the metro lines through South Bengaluru was completed (Green Line between Kempegowda station and National College), a train has rolled on its tracks, in Bengaluru on November 20, 2016. A day ahead of the launch of trials on the South Line (Green Line), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials successfully managed to push a train through from Sampige Road Metro Station then to the yet-to-be-completed underground stations of Chikpete and K.R. Market on the North-South line towards National College station. The South Line between National College and Yelachenahalli has been lying idle for over two years. BMRCL could not start services or conduct trials on this line as the only depot was located at Peenya, and the crucial underground stretches had not yet been completed. Trials are expected to go on till March next year before operations begin in April on this stretch. Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

Electronics City, where more than a lakh people work, has inched closer to realising its metro dreams.

With the critical underground stretch of Phase I of the Namma Metro network taking shape, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) is going ahead full steam on the stretches to connect the city’s major IT hub to the metro network.

While last week saw BMRCL inviting bids for the 15.5-km stretch from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield, Saturday saw the company calling for bids for the 6.38-km stretch from Hosa Road to HSR Layout which will complement the bids called for the 6.4-km Hosa Road to Bommasandra stretch.

With the tender process for the remaining stretch, covering the densely populated R.V. Road to Silk Board junction stretch, expected to be done by in a week, the work is expected to start on the 18.82-km stretch by mid-June.

“We will award the tender by six months, and work can begin after that. It will take another 27 months to complete the works,” said U.A. Vasanth Rao, chief public relations officer of BMRCL.

The critical stretch will connect the Electronics City (both phases) and HSR Layout to the metro network.

Tree cutting

While works are expected to be done with minimal demolition of properties — as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has allowed metro to come up on the service lane of the busy Hosur Road — officials have already begun the process of cutting trees near Electronics City. Over 48 trees between Hebbagodi and Bommasandra have been cut, while another 20 trees will be cut in the coming week.

The permission was taken from the Department of Forests and the Forest Cell of the BBMP.

Land acquisition

However, perhaps for the first time in the land acquisition process for Phase II of the project, BMRCL is seeing legal trouble in acquiring 25 acres for setting up a depot at Hebbagodi. The owner of the plot has filed a writ petition, and the High Court of Karnataka has granted a stay on land acquisition. BMRCL officials, however, said this would not lead to delay in the commencement of works.