'The City Beautiful' Chandigarh, has been awaiting metro services for the past many years. From time to time, the people of Tricity often dig deep into the Chandigarh Metro Update. Now, Chandigarh Metro's new update has come, and it may disappoint locals. As per reports, the Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula Metro project has hit another roadblock as the Chandigarh administration has flagged multiple deficiencies in the detailed project report (DPR) submitted by RITES Limited.
The administration has directed the government consultancy to revise and resubmit the report with critical missing elements before any further decision is taken. According to reports, a high-level meeting was held on Tuesday between officials of the Chandigarh administration, the Punjab and Haryana governments, and RITES representatives. RITES is the consultancy that presented its analysis on key parameters, including projected ridership, cost estimates, route plans, power supply logistics, and funding mechanisms.
However, the administration pointed out that several essential aspects were missing from the report. Until these gaps are addressed, the project will not move forward. RITES has now been instructed to rework the entire report to include the omitted details.
What did RITES propose?
RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Services) had detailed traffic demand forecasts, zone-wise analysis, highway integration, estimated passenger volumes, operational plans, power requirements, construction costs, and economic feasibility.
RITES report proposed:
- The proposed metro will have 3 corridors spanning 85.65 km.
- If fully elevated (Scenario G), the cost would be approximately Rs 23,263 crore.
- If constructed partially underground, the cost could rise to Rs 27,680 crore.
- Including construction and associated expenses by 2031, total costs are projected to be Rs 25,631 crore (elevated) or Rs 30,498 crore (underground).
What were the flaws in the RITES report on Chandigarh Metro?
As per reports, the RITE report lacked concrete data on how many people will use the metro daily. There was no analysis comparing previous and projected commuter figures. Discrepancies were found in the calculation of project costs versus expected benefits. The report did not explain how the assumed 3% increase in traffic per year was derived. Software tools used for estimations were not backed by any verifiable evidence or justification.
Why is the Chandigarh metro project delayed?
This metro project aims to ease urban commuting for residents of Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula. In November 2024, Administrator and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria had constituted a high-level committee to assess the viability of the project. Despite two meetings in January and February, the process has stalled due to flaws in the initial report.