Line extension to bear Shiv Shrusthi name; Maha-Metro to bear all costs
Dixit said that Maha-Metro will now bear all the costs of the 2 km route extension. “There will also be two additional Metro stations, which will include one at Bhusari colony and the other at the Shiv Shrusti memorial.”
The Vanaz to Ramwadi Metro corridor will now be known as the Shiv Shrusti to Ramwadi line. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed Maha-Metro to extend the existing corridor till Chandani Chowk, where the Shivaji Maharaj memorial, Shiv Shrusti, will be coming up.
Maha-Metro’s managing director, Brijesh Dixit, informed the media of the same at a press meet on Tuesday, post a meeting held by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to sort out the issue of the Shiv Shrusti project and its location.
Dixit said that Maha-Metro will now bear all the costs of the 2 km route extension. “There will also be two additional Metro stations, which will include one at Bhusari colony and the other at the Shiv Shrusti memorial.”
Dixit said that Maha-Metro will also consider connecting the multi-level flyover proposed at Chandani chowk to the Metro. “Residents can get down at Chandani chowk from the various highways and will be able to take the Metro from the Shiv Shrusti station,” Dixit said.
“We are planning to erect a huge station at the Shiv Shrusti site as it will become one of the iconic stations. It will help Maha-Metro get more commuters on weekdays as the Pune Municipal Corporation and the State government are planning to erect the Shiv Shrusti on 50 acres of land,” Dixit explained.
Dixit added that Maha-Metro will now be able to start work at the Kothrud garbage depot site for its car shed and station.
Dixit said that Maha-Metro will prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for Swargate to Katraj and Pimpri-Chinchwad to Nigdi extensions very soon.
After Shivaji memorial, now what of ‘Smruti Udyan’
CM Devendra Fadnavis may have resolved the fate of the Shiv Shrusti memorial standing in the way of the Pune Metro project.
But, what of a five acre plot within the Kothrud garbage depot which was taken over by residents of the area 15 years ago to plant trees?
“There is five acres of land in the Kothrud depot where residents have done tree plantation under a project known as ‘Smruti Udyan’. This was developed by our organisation Nisargsevak. This land was given to our organisation by the PMC in 2002 on a 10 year-lease for forestation, with an agreement that after 10 years, the land with all the planted trees will be handed over to the PMC, and the PMC will take care of those plants.
“The project was inaugurated by then mayor Dipti Chaudhary and after the successful plantation of 1,000 trees, a fully developed forest was handed over to the PMC in 2012. While deciding on the Metro the above written promise of maintaining these trees should be considered,” Vivek Velankar, founder Nisargsevak, said.