Lucknow Metro’s New MD inspect Construction and Depot site to identify possible challenges

Lucknow Metro’s New MD inspect Construction and Depot site to identify possible challenges

Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation works on Solutions to shift underground utilities within metro stretch

Lucknow (LKO): On his formal joining in the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) office, the new Managing Director of Lucknow Metro Kumar Keshav was in full gear working on the possible challenges of metro’s priority section from Transport Nagar to Charbagh railway station. He admitted that while most are worried about funding options, very less focus has been given on solutions to shift the underground utilities coming within metro stretch. Keshav is a former senior official from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

He spent the entire day inspecting the construction and depot site, identifying possible challenges and their solutions to meet a close approaching deadline of beginning construction by next month. He said, “None of the cities were planned to have metro as a public transport option in future. Lucknow is as congested as Delhi and the roads are much narrower. Public will face inconvenience during construction and we have to find ways to reduce their inconvenience.”

He said LMRC has now entered a pre-construction mode where all arrangements have to be done timely to ensure that construction begins in time to meet the deadline of completing priority section by December 2016. “I know it’s a huge challenge for us but we as a team will make all possible efforts to accomplish it. We are currently working on solutions to give minimum inconvenience to the public during construction”, he said.

He said apart from roads being congested and shifting of utilities, LMRC has to also work on acquiring adjoining lands for providing alternative roads during construction. “Besides, in later stages we might also face resistance from people whose lands are coming under metro stretch. Also, we might need permission from different departments/agencies/trusts to remove any statue temporarily falling within the route. Acquiring land near Charbagh is another major challenge before us” , he added.