BENGALURU: The first step towards the commencement of Namma Metro’s `10,584-crore line from KR Puram to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has been taken with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) initiating the process of acquiring land for five of the stations along this much-awaited route. The 36.3-km line, which will be routed via Nagawara and Hebbal, was approved by the State cabinet in January.
The largely elevated line with 17 Metro stations will go underground for the two stations that will come up at KIA. Speaking to The New Indian Express, M S Channappa Goudar, General Manager, Land Acquisition department, BMRCL, said, “We have sent a request to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) on Monday (May 20) to acquire 11,032 square metres of private land in the route from KR Puram to Kempapura under Section 28 (1) of the KIAD Act.
The Board will send the proposal to the government for its approval before issuing a preliminary notification for the same.”Channasandra, Horamavu, Nagawara, Veeranyapalya and HBR Layout are the stations for which land will be acquired first. “The parcels of land sought are spaces where multi-storied apartments and a few commercial complexes have been built,” he said.
There are three other stations up to Kempapura but since those portions of land belong to government agencies, no acquisition problem is anticipated. “While land for the stations of Kalyan Nagar and HRBR Layout belong to BBMP, land belonging to the water supply board (BWSSB) is required for the Kempapura station. Both the agencies have given us an in-principle approval to use the same,” he said.The airport line will totally require 2,30,073 square metres of land for construction of viaduct and stations and an additional 91,532 square metres for the depots. While a Metro line from Baiyappanahalli will run to KIA and back, a depot will come up at Whitefield for the East-West Line.