With many detriments delaying metro work, Bengaluru plays catch-up with other cities.
Story so far: The pace of the city’s metro project is far slower than other cities. For instance, the Bengaluru metro became operational in 2011 and presently has 55.6 km of service. The Ahmedabad metro started in 2019 and has 37.9 km of metro rail. Added to this is the issue of several construction mishaps causing death and injury. Experts attribute the delay and cost of life to state oversight.
- The state government has failed to keep the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) accountable. As the case of the metro line from Byappanahalli to Whitefield suggests, the authorities have embarked on an unplanned construction.
- Activists claim that the authorities’ callousness and disregard are evident in the 38 deaths and 50 injuries the project has caused since its inception. The state government, on its part, has penalised three engineers and contractors.
Several complaints: Bengaluru citizens are discontented with the metro project that is running in its second decade of construction. The completion of Bengaluru’s metro network will likely alleviate traffic congestion concerns. However, some experts claim that the longer it takes, the less effective it will be in reducing the city’s road traffic.
- Citizens also complain of a lack of transparency regarding the metro. An activist claims that the excessive delay is a cause of concern for Bengaluru as it displays the corruption and sense of impunity with which the state government functions.
Counterview: BMRCL spokesperson Yashwant Chawan argues that Bengaluru’s geographical requirements, weather, land acquisition norms, and traffic diversion strategies are different from other cities. For instance, the city’s hard soil and lengthy guidelines on tree-cutting effectively delay the metro’s expansion.