New Delhi, August 6, 2018: An over eight kilometre stretch of the Delhi Metro’s Pink Line, running from Durgabhai Deshmukh South Campus to Lajpat Nagar metro station having interconnection at INA (yellow line) and Lajpat Nagar (orange line), was inaugurated today. The stretch is part of the upcoming 59 km long Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar Corridor under the Phase-3 of Delhi Metro Project, which is supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This stretch is a continuation of the operational Majlis Park – Durgabhai Deshmukh South Campus metro section which would connect four major markets of Delhi.
The objective of the Project is to mitigate traffic, improve connectivity, minimize road accidents and ensure overall ease of commuting in the southern part ofDelhi.
The flagging-off ceremony was inaugurated by Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India (GOI); Mr. Ananth Kumar, Minister for Chemical and Fertilizers and Parliamentary Officer, GOI and Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. The other key dignitaries present at the ceremony were Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Embassy of Japan, Ambassador of Japan to India; Mr. Katsuo Matsumoto, Chief Representative, JICA India amongst others.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Katsuo Matsumoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office said, “The Pink Line operates on the Ring Road, which witnesses traffic congestion on a daily basis. The new stretch would reduce traffic snarls and will provide easy access to markets such as INA, South Extension, Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar. JICA recognizes the need for efficient urban transport to develop Delhi. We are happy to announce that this new stretch opened for public takes the operational network of the Delhi Metro to 296 km.”
This new stretch will be a boon for commuters who travel to Sarojini Nagar and South Extension markets which did not have any metro connectivity till now and commuters suffered to reach these places especially in late evening hours due to lack of public transport. This 8.1 km stretch of the Delhi Metro Pink Linewill connect Sri Vishweshwariah Moti Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place, Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar metro stations. The line has six metro stations out of which INA will be the interchange station for Yellow Line and Lajpat Nagar Station will be the interchange station for the Violet Line. Five stations are underground and one is elevated. This stretch is a part of the 59km long route from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar, which consists of 38 metro stations.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) is the executing agency of the Project.
The Delhi Metro project is a shining example of Indo-Japanese partnership and has gained success that other Metro projects in India aspire to emulate. In 2018 only, Delhi metro has over 57 km of new lines which are developed due to JICA’s cooperation. With the opening of this section, the Delhi metro network will become 296 km long with 214 metro stations.
JICA had extended an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 276,804 million Japanese yen (approximately INR 17,000 crore) to develop Phase-3 of theDelhi Metro. Since 1997, JICA has extended a cumulative ODA loan of 651,531 million Japanese yen (approximately INR 40,000 crore) for the Delhi Metro Project. JICA has extended ODA loans of 1.1 trillion Japanese yen (approximately INR 70,000 crores) to develop metro systems in Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
About JICA
Established by a specific law as an incorporated administrative institution under the Government of Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims to promote international cooperation as the sole Japanese governmental agency in charge of ODA implementation. JICA is the world’s largest bilateral donor agency. JICA works as a bridge between Japan and emerging countries, and provides assistance in the form of loans, grants and technical cooperation, so that the emerging countries can strengthen their capabilities.
