For the last few years, work on the Joka-Esplanade metro line of Kolkata Metro has been more or less non-stop. Construction has proceeded ceaselessly in stretches that aren’t under legal disputes or technical assessment. This 14.35km metro corridor between Joka and the city’s central business district is much closer to completion now than when we launched the Gems Group.
Lately, the line has overcome crucial land acquisition and permissions related challenges, allowing the work to now proceed faster. Here are some updates from the field:
Lately, The dispute was ongoing due to a PIL filed in the Calcutta High Court, pleading that no such construction work should be carried out within 100m of the monument. The Victoria Memorial Hall’s board of trustees sought expert opinions from IIT-Kharagpur and CBRI-Roorkee on the issue. RVNL shared the tunnelling impact assessment with these experts and argued that the construction would be well beyond 200m from Victoria Memorial – in fact, the tunnel will be 18m in diameter be located a comfortable 285m away from the monument. At which point the NOC was obtained and the court cleared the construction of the 5.6km stretch between Mominpur and Esplanade.
This 5.6km stretch starting at Mominpur will have 5 stations – Mominpur, Kidderpore, Victoria Memorial, Park street, and Esplanade. This crucial NOC is a major step toward speedy completion of the entire line.
Joka-Taratala stretch ready for operation. Put off till Majerhat is ready.
The entire stretch between Joka and Taratala is nearly ready for commercial operation. There were talks to commence operations on this section, however the Railway Board has deferred those plans till the Majerhat section is ready, as well. This should not take long as girder launching beyond Majerhat has begun.
Metro line inches toward Esplanade, girder launching starts beyond Majerhat flyover.
In late March, RVNL begun erecting girders across the railway tracks, alongside Majerhat flyover, bringing the viaduct closer to completion. In mid-April, girder launching was commenced beyond the Majerhat flyover, where the line goes on a steady downward incline to meet the underground section at Mominpur. RVNL has obtained all permissions to complete girder launching in 500m of this 1km downward incline, and will have to take permissions to construct any further. This process is expected to get easier since the Indian Army and the Victoria Memorial Hall have both cleared the construction of the underground section from Mominpur to Esplanade.
Metro lines get final color codes. Joka-Esplanade to be ‘Purple’ line
The decision makers at Metro Railway have assigned color codes to the various lines of Kolkata metro, existing and upcoming. Line 1, for instance, the original North-South line, has been named the Blue line; the Joka-Esplanade 15.4km line has been classified as the ‘Purple’ line. Here is a list of all lines, with their corresponding color codes:
- Main North-South Line 1 – Blue line
- East-west corridor, Line 2 – Green line
- New Garia-Airport, Line 6 – Orange line
- Joka-Esplanade corridor, Line 3 – Purple line
- Noapara-Airport, Line 4 – Yellow line
- Baranagar-Barrackpore, Line 5 – Pink line
The construction of the metro line has been on for a few years now, and has sometimes been rife with delays. However, all land acquisition is now complete, which usually tends to be the most complex part of such a large urban infrastructure project. What is left is construction, testing, and finally, launch.
Owing to the metro line, the areas around Joka, Thakurpukur, even Behala, have seen a surge of residential complexes, new flats and apartments in South Kolkata. As one of the real estate developers working in the area, we expect the metro to be a great boon to residents.
Located only a few minutes from Joka metro, Gems Bougainvillas is a residential bungalow project with 600+ bungalows in South Kolkata. With bungalows and villas in 2, 3, 4 and 5 bhk types, and 12 architectural styles, you have a whole range of options to choose from. Visit us now.
Sources:
