The Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project took the centre stage during the second day of the ongoing Assembly session, as the local MLAs elaborated the issues being faced by the public due to the traffic and the dire requirement of rapid and fast transport system.
Gajuwaka MLA and Andhra Pradesh TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao said that due to increase in population, number of vehicles, upcoming development projects and congested roads, people have been facing severe traffic problems in Visakhapatnam and there is a need for rapid transport system like metro rail. Only metro rail project can provide relief to motorists from the traffic issues, which are likely to rise in the coming years due to rapid urbanisation. Though the TDP had initiated steps to bring metro rail project during the year 2014, the YSRCP government neglected it during the last five years, he alleged.
Visakhapatnam West MLA P.V.G.R. Naidu said that no major road extension works have been taken up in the city for the past 40 years. It was the TDP which constructed the NAD flyover, apart from which no projects were taken up to ease traffic congestions, he said.
Visakhapatnam East MLA V. Ramakrishna Babu expressed the need for metro and flyovers in the city limits, in view of the upcoming international airport at Bhogapuram.
Anakapalli MLA (JSP) Konathala Ramakrishna urged the government to extend the Metro Rail Project to Anakapalli or at least to Lankelapalem, in view of the employees working in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Pharmacity.
“Anakapalli and Bheemunipatnam were merged into the GVMC expecting development. So, we request the government to extend the metro project till Lankelapalem,” he said.
Responding to the issue, Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana said that the State government has sought the Centre to implement the project on the basis of Kolkata model, wherein the entire project was undertaken by the Indian Railways. He also said that Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project will be a two-layered at some busy junctions.
Mr. Narayana said that during April 2019, the TDP government had called for tenders for the metro project. The previous YSRCP government had cancelled the tenders during December 2019. If the tenders would have continued, by now, Vizag would have got metro rail, he said.
“In the name of extending metro rail till Bhogapuram, the previous YSRCP government delayed the project. They prepared DPRs during April 2021 and no action was taken till December 2023,” Mr. Narayana alleged
He said that during August this year, under the NDA government, they have decided to take up the project in two phases – 46.23 km and 30.67 km. This will be a Kolkata based model, wherein In the first phase, four corridors will be coming up. Steel Plant to Kommadi (34.4km) with 29 stations, Gurudwara to Old Post Officer (5.07km) with six stations. Thatichetlapalem to China Waltair (6.75km) with seven stations; all together 46.23 km with 42 stations, at an estimated cost of ₹11,495 crore.
In the second phase, a 30.67 km stretch from Kommadi to Bhogapuram will be covered and it would have 12 stations, he said.
In view of request from the local leaders, who expressed that traffic congestions will increase due to more intersections, we have asked for two-layered project at some junctions. The first layer will be road, while the second layer will be the metro. The feasibility report will be submitted, Mr. Narayana said.
Published - November 13, 2024 08:53 pm IST
