GUWAHATI: There is no progress in the Guwahati Metro Rail Project as only revised paperwork is being done on it, but practically there is no movement on ground and even the government is not content with the feasibility study of the project; the revised project report is submitted but the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) is yet take a decision on the project.
A source, who is a member of UMTA, told GPlus on condition of anonymity that there is no progress in the project as with the ongoing construction for development across the city, it is yet to be decided when the project will start and what the final routes will be.
Also Read: Proposed Kamakhya Corridor Threat To Temple’s Essence
Another source in Dispur said, “Metro rail is not a priority now and government has not taken any decision on it yet.”
The feasibility report for Guwahati Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) was completed by RITES in March, 2015 for total corridor length of 203 km in three phases and completed DPR (Phase-I) for total length of 62.95 km in January, 2016. The state cabinet, on February 22, 2016, had approved DPR (Phase-I) for MRTS and state-owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) namely Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited to carry forward the implementation of rail-based MRTS for Guwahati city.
The DPR was sent to union ministry of urban development (MoUD) in May, 2016. The MoUD had advised the state government to resubmit the proposal along with an updated Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP).
The state cabinet, in January 2017, suggested some changes and asked GMDA to recast the DPR (Phase-I) for rail-based MRTS. The government instructed GMDA to prepare DPR for additional metro corridors from Dharapur to Guwahati Airport and Jalukbari to North Guwahati.
Also Read: Guwahati: Proposed Rail-Cum-Road Bridge May See Pandu Encroachers Evicted
Meanwhile, the government of India had adopted Metro Rail Policy, 2017 and advised the states to submit MRTS proposals accordingly. As per the new policy, the project DPR required alternative analysis (AA). In case of Guwahati, a CMP was also required.
On approval of government of Assam, RITES was awarded the preparation work of the CMP and AA report for Guwahati on nomination basis for the CMP at Rs 1.25 crore (excluding taxes) and AA reports at Rs 35.00 lakh (excluding taxes). The timeline for CMP was 4 months and AA report was 2 months.
During the review meeting of the presentation of the inception report of the CMP, held on December 3, 2018 under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Guwahati Development Department (GDD), RITES was enquired by Principal Secretary, GDD about the inclusion of traffic impact study from Assam State Capital Region Development Authority (ASCRDA) region in the present scope of CMP and also to submit proposal and cost implications for the study.
The ASCRDA area is approximately 6,100 sq km covering five districts namely Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup, Nalbari, Darrang and Morigaon. RITES informed that since the traffic study for the CMP is for the Guwahati Metro Region the inclusion of the traffic impact study from ASCRDA area can be done at very reasonable rate and time.
Click here to join our WhatsApp channel.
RITES submitted the final CMP and AA report in 2018 but the state government was unhappy. “The DPR was asked to be revised,” said a source in Dispur.
The report was revised and in September 2022 a revised report was submitted, said the source. Thereafter UMTA was to take decision which did not happen till now.
Last year while inaugurating the Nilachal flyover Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that after completion of the ring road, the metro train will run above it. Metro trains will enter and exit Guwahati through the ring. So, if the report submitted by RITES in 2022 is to be changed, the work should have started because as of now it seems like the metro rail plan remains vague.
