Metro phase-2 on track as land acquisition begins

Land acquisition for phase-2 of Namma Metro from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield is on and the final notification for the commencement of work is set to be out by March.

So far, there has been no major hurdle or protest that Metro officials have encountered against the acquisition.

According to plans, work on phase-2 must begin by March and from then on, it will take three years to complete the work. There are several issues to be handled before the actual work can begin.

Chief public relations officer of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Vasanth Rao said the acquisition process has to be undertaken “humanely” and it will take time to complete it.

“There are many houses and industrial units that would have to be shifted. We have to give time to residents to change their houses. They have been living in the area for long and we would have to take into account their sentiments over their homes and the locality. This is the case with industries, too, that have been functioning for long. It is difficult to shift them overnight. We have to be humane when we go about acquiring land. That is why the initial launch of Metro phase-2 is likely to take time. The final notification will be issued after this process and it will take about two months,” Rao said.

The land acquisition has to take place in two phases – one from Baiyappanahalli to Vydehi Hospital and the other from the hospital to Whitefield mainstream. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) is looking into the acquisition of industrial property.

The board will decide the compensation to be paid to industries. The Metro though would have to arrange for the share of its money to be deposited with the KIADB. Once the Metro parks the money, it is KIADB’s lookout to complete the land acquisition and disburse compensation.

The senior official said the basic work of utility shifting was yet to begin and trees would be felled later. “There have always been protests when it comes to tree-felling. We also need to convince civic activists that we will plant saplings and trees in other areas to compensate for the loss of trees along the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield stretch. This will take some time.

“There will be a dialogue and a public hearing on tree-cutting and road-widening. Only after these approvals come through will the demolition of houses and offices begin. There is a lot of work to be done prior to building the piers. It is not an easy process or something that can be done overnight. The public should understand that only after all these works will the actual work on the Metro begin,” the official said.