[sustran] Maharashtra to seek citizens' say on Nagpur metro rail project

[Vinay Baindur]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Nagpur/Maharashtra-to-seek-citizens-say-on-metro-rail-project/articleshow/41549493.cms

Maharashtra to seek citizens' say on metro rail projectAnjaya Anparthi
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-Anjaya-Anparthi.cms>
,TNN | Sep 3, 2014, 01.14 AM IST

NAGPUR: The city's ambitious metro rail project will soon come up before
the general public to elicit their views and objections. The state urban
development department has prepared two notifications and will invite
suggestions and objections on the two proposed corridors and increase in
floor space index (FSI) to 4 for plots within 500 meter radius on each side
of the two corridors.

Meanwhile, the project's nodal agency Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has
sent a proposal to the state government to raise loan of 50% of total
project cost from Japan-based Japan International Co-operation Agency
(JICA).

Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) chairman Pravin Darade, who has been
instrumental in planning the project, told TOI two notifications will be
issued in a day or two by the state urban development department. One is
alignment notification and other transit oriented development (TOD)
notification. Metro rail is proposed along two corridors, 19.65km from
Automotive Square to MIHAN along Indora, KP, Sitabuldi, Khamla and Airport,
and 18.55km from Prajapati Nagar to Lokmanya Nagar along Central Avenue,
Sitabuldi, North Ambazari Road and Hingna Road.

Citizens can submit suggestions and objections to these two corridors
within 60 days from the notification. Similarly, there is a proposal to
give 4 FSI on the two corridors and suggestions and objections will be
invited from citizens for the changes in FSI.

"Citizens can submit suggestions and objections at NIT office or with the
government. Hearings of those submitting suggestions and objections will be
conducted. Then the government will give final approval to the two
proposals," he said.

NIT superintending engineer SS Gujjalwar said process to raise loan of 50%
of total project cost will begin with JICA after government approval.
"Centre and state's share is 20% each and NMC and NIT's share is 5% each in
the project. Remaining 50% will be raised through loan from JICA," he said.

JICA provides technical and financial aid to developing countries to
implement projects and it is one of the top financiers for Delhi metro rail
project.

Interestingly, NIT has considered the old project cost of Rs 8,680 crore
approved by the central government, and not the revised cost of Rs 10,526
crore for the loan proposal. Darade said metro region project can be
expedited once it gets the state government's approval.

Meanwhile, the government has transferred Darade, who will be replaced by
Aurangabad municipal commissioner Dr Harshdeep Kamble.

*New plan to clean up Pili river*

Pravin Darade revealed a project to reduce pollution level in Pili River.
"NIT and Neeri have started the process to set up a project for treatment
of sewage flowing in Pili river without any mechanized unit. Treated sewage
water will be utilized in gardens and such purposes. It is a pilot project
and would be implemented in different stretches of the river once it is
successful," he said.

Darade added that NIT also plans to treat sewage water in some stretches of
Pili and Pora rivers by using mechanized units. "It will be small sewage
treatment plants with latest technology consuming less land and requiring
low investment," he said.