In a major development, within a week after getting approval from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Phase-II of Nagpur Metro got approval from the State cabinet on Tuesday, giving a boost to the city’s development.
The Rs 11,216 project having a total distance of 48.3 kilometers, will now be sent to the Union cabinet for its approval. If everything goes well, the work of the Phase-II shall begin in the second half of this year.
Addressing a press conference at the Metro office, Civil Lines in the city on Tuesday evening, Managing Director Brijesh Dixit said, Phase-II will cover rural parts of Nagpur and will serve as an extension to the ongoing first phase. The new phase will have 35 stations covering a population of 21.39 lakh in 2019.
There are a number of people, who commute from Kamptee to Butibori everyday for their jobs – most of them on two-wheelers. But after completion, the Phase II will connect Kamptte to Butibori, which will not only save their time but the cost and more importantly wipe out the risk of road accidents, said Dixit. It would also curb pollution besides, giving major boost to economic activities of rural Nagpur, added the MD, who was all smiles over the new development of cabinet’s approval.
The Phase-I is moving ahead of its schedule and perhaps this is one of the reasons that the Phase-II got the approval. Still, there are some pockets, particularly areas in West Nagpur, which are left untouched by the Metro, but I am sure the day is not far when Metro-III will be the reality of the day and all the parts of Nagpur will be connected with each other, Dixit said.
The Phase-II will cover the industrial area of Hingna, the educational hub in an around, Dattawadi, Vayu Sena Nagar, will certainly bring development. Once, completed, the Phase-I and Phase-II will change the entire face of Nagpur city in another five years, Dixit said.
Administration head Anil Kokate, Sunil Mathur, and other senior officials of Metro were also present at the press conference.
