Delhi Metro Phase 4 corridors may miss deadline, project cost escalated by 15%

New Delhi, India (Metro Rail Today): The Phase 4 Corridors of Delhi Metro Rail project are suffering from delay and are likely to miss the deadline. The delay in granting permission to fell and translocate trees falling on the way of the alignment of three upcoming metro corridors of Phase 4 has resulted not only in cost escalation of about 15% but has also led to a considerable delay of up to 30 months on certain sections.

According officials, the three approved corridors of Delhi Metro Phase 4 were estimated to be completed at a cost of Rs 10,479.6 crore but now it is esclated to Rs 12,048.5 crore, causing an additional expenditure of about Rs 1,568.8 crore on Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

A total of six metro corridors – Aerocity to Tughlaqabad, Inderlok to Saket G-block, Mukundpur to Maujpur, Janakpuri West to RK Ashram and Rithala to Bawana and Narela – measuring 103.9 km were proposed under Phase 4 of Delhi Metro Rail Project. Out of , three of these corridors i.e. Aerocity to Tughlaqabad, Mukundpur to Maujpur and Janakpuri West to RK Ashram – have been categorised as priority corridors and got approval of the Central Government cabinet in March 2019.

Most of the civil contracts of these priority corridors have been awarded to the selected bidders, but the construction work got stuck due to “unjustifiably and inordinately delayed permissions” from the environment and forest department of the Delhi government to fell or translocate nearly 2,500 trees. Construction on the some sections is undergoing at full pace. 

"Even as the delays have led to the cost overrun by 15%, the fresh bids, as a result of retendering of the work on these corridors, might further increase the cost that will have to be borne by the Delhi Metro,” said an official. Some of the files seeking approval of the department of environment and forest to fell and translocate trees were pending for 30 months.

“The Sonia Vihar to Yamuna Bridge stretch of the Maujpur to Majlis Park (Mukundpur) corridor is delayed by almost 29 months while the Yamuna Vihar to Bhajanpura and Sonia Vihar to Khajuri Khas stretches are running late by over 15 months,” said sources, TOI reported. “Similarly, the Sangam Vihar to Saket G stretch Tughlaqabad-Aerocity corridor is delayed by 30 months,” the sources added.