BENGALURU: The entire Phase 1 of Namma Metro will commence operations in June and will have a ridership of 5 lakh, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday.
After inaugurating the supply of free drinking water to slum dwellers in Srirampura organised by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the Chief Minister elaborated on the steps taken by the state government to ease the transportation woes in the City.
“Bengaluru presently has 65 lakh vehicles. The 42.3 km Phase 1 built at a cost of nearly `13,600 crore is nearing completion. At present, Metro carries nearly 2 lakh passengers and it will be able to carry 5 lakh passengers when it begins full operations in June,” he said. Work on Metro Phase 2 which is estimated to cost `26,000 crore has already begun, he said.
“We have inducted 1,000 new buses into BMTC to improve the travelling experience of Bengalureans,” he said. The government was also looking at circuit rail as an option to ease travel woes and discussions were held with the Railway Minister during his recent visit to the city, Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah also said that water will be made available to 110 villages which have been added to the BBMP within two years. “Work on the project has already started,” he said.
10k litres water per family
As announced in this year’s state budget, BWSSB will provide 10,000 litres of drinking water free of cost to 70,497 slum households in the city. “If the water consumed by a family crosses this quantum of water, then they have to pay water bill,” said BWSSB Engineer-in-Chief, BWSSB, Kemparamaiah.
The Chief Minister said, “The government has not only waived off arrears and interest to paid by slum dwellers to the water department which had accumulated to B40 crore but have also given them free water.”
Power fluctuation, glitches hit Metro
Bengaluru: Technical and electrical problems in two trains hit operations of Namma Metro on Saturday.
The first train was empty and came to a halt when it was approaching the Mysore Road Station at 9.15 am.
“It was due to some technical problems inside the train. After it was set right within 10- 15 minutes, it commenced operations. The schedules of the trains which followed it were affected a bit,” said a Metro official. Meanwhile, it is reliably learnt that around 12 noon, a Metro train with passengers on board came to a halt as it was nearing the Trinity Circle station due to power problems.
“It was only a voltage fluctuation,” said BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola. “This did not result in the cancellation of any train,” he added. According to a passenger on board, the train doors did not open and the air-conditioner did not work. It is understood that the schedules of many trains went haywire upto early evening.