Maha Metro Aqua Line services between Lokmanya Nagar Metro Station and Sitabuldi Interchange will be flagged off on 28th January 2020 at 10.15 am by Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra (through video link) and Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing & Urban Affairs, Civil Aviation, Commerce & Industry (through video link). Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) will be present in the event to be held at Subhash Nagar Metro Station, Hingna Road.
Shri Eknath Shinde, Urban Development and Public Works (Public Undertaking) Minister, Shri Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister, Dr Nitin Raut, Energy Minister & District Guardian Minister, Shri Sunil Kedar, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Sports & Youth Welfare Minister, all from Government of Maharashtra will be prominently present on the occasion.
Shri Sandip Joshi, City Mayor, Dr Vikas Mahatme, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri Krupal Tumane, Member of Parliament (Ramtek) and Shri Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition (Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) will be prominently present on the occasion. Shri Nago Ganar, Shri Prakash Gajbhiye, Prof. Jogendra Kawade, Prof. Anil Sole, Shri Girish Vyas all MLC, Shri Krishna Khopde (Nagpur East), Shri Vikas Kumbhare (Nagpur Central), Shri Mohan Mate (Nagpur South), Shri Samir Meghe (Hingna), and Shri Vikas Thakre (Nagpur West), all MLA will be prominently present.
Shri Durga Shankar Mishra, Union Ministry for Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) will also grace the event. Maha Metro MD Dr Brijesh Dixit has urged people to attend the event in large numbers.
The Aqua Line stretches from Prajapati Nagar to Lokmanya Nagar Metro Stations on the East-West Corridor. Of this, 11 km long line in Reach-III, to be flagged off includes 11 stations of which 6 including Sitabuldi Interchange are ready for operation. The stations located in the Reach-III are Lokmanya Nagar, Bansi Nagar, Vasudev Nagar, Rachana Ring Road, Subhash Nagar, Ambazari Lake View, LAD Square, Shankar Nagar, Institute of Engineers, Jhansi Rani Square and finally Sitabuldi Interchange.
Of these, 6 Metro Stations – Lokmanya Nagar, Vasudev Nagar, Subhash Nagar, Institute of Engineers, Jhansi Rani Square and Sitabuldi Interchange are ready for the opening of passenger services. The Aqua Line is so-called given the proximity of water bodies – Ambazari Lake, Gandhi Sagar and Nag River to the Metro alignment. The opening of Aqua Line will give a major boost to academic institutions, industrial areas, residential colonies and others travelling on this line.