Centre green light for Metro Phase IV

Even as the Delhi Metro awaits the requisite nods to begin construction work on the upcoming Phase III project, the Central government has asked the DMRC to start preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) for Phase IV.

The DMRC is now evaluating seven corridors for the fourth and final phase of the Delhi Metro, targeted for completion by 2021.

Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday announced that the DMRC has been given a time-frame of 18 months to submit the DPRs for Phase IV. The corridors will tentatively include the Yamuna Bank-Loni Border (11.97 km), Janakpuri West-Mukundpur (18.74), Mukundpur-Dilshad Garden (17.54 km), Kirti Nagar-Dwarka Sector 28 (18.17 km), Badarpur-Delhi Aerocity (20.79 km), Lajpat Nagar-Madangir (7.33 km) and Azadpur-RK Ashram (8.30 km) routes.

"Once the DPRs are prepared, the final routes of the corridors will be firmed up. After the completion of Phase IV by 2021, another 104 km will be added to the Delhi Metro network, taking the total coverage area to 440 km — surpassing even the London Underground. We expected to complete the DPRs within the next 18 months," Nath said.

The Delhi Metro is already working on four lines spanning 103 km for Phase III, with 67 stations and 3 depots, at a cost of Rs 35,242. In addition to the sanctioned corridors — Mukundpur-Yamuna Vihar, Janakpuri West-Kalindi Kunj, Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate and Jahangirpuri-Badli — another 13.87-km line is being considered from YMCA Chowk, Badarpur, to Faridabad.

Nath said the government is considering the DPRs for three other corridors — Dwarka-Najafgarh, Yamuna Vihar-Shiv Vihar and Mundka-Bahadurgarh — as part of the Phase III project. In the end, the Delhi Metro is expected to have a total network of 312 km with a total ridership of about 40 lakh passengers per day, he added.

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