Delhi-Meerut RRTS construction work in full swing, on schedule: Govt

National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) has informed that construction work on the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor is in full swing and on schedule.

New Delhi: The Delhi-Meerut regional rapid transit system corridor has achieved 24.8 per cent physical progress till February 28 and construction work is in full swing and on schedule, the government told Rajya Sabha on Monday. In reply to a written question, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore said that the corridor is likely to be completed by June 2025.

"National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) has informed that construction work on the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor is in full swing and on schedule," he said. The minister said that the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) prepared a "Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032" which recommended eight RRTS corridors to connect various important towns of the NCR with high speed rail based commuter transit system.

These eight corridors include Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat, Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Palwal, Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak, Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut, Ghaziabad-Khurja and Ghaziabad-Hapur. Kishore said that out of these, the task force constituted by the then Planning Commission prioritised three corridors -- Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat.

In another question regarding the Central Vista redevelopment project, he said that no tree has been felled or cut in various projects under the Central Vista redevelopment master plan. "Till date 1,051 trees have been transplanted at other locations," he said, adding that due care is being taken to keep the affected trees to absolute minimum for essentially required construction activity. Compensatory plantation of 10 times of the trees to be transplanted is also being done within Delhi," the minister said.

He added that other measures taken to protect the environment are recycling of waste water through sewerage treatment plants, groundwater recharge, low-flow fixtures to conserve water, use of energy efficient LED lights and electrical equipment conforming to Energy Conservation Building Code norms, solid waste management and dust mitigation. The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation's power corridor, envisages a new parliament building, common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.

PTI