BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Thursday that his government was committed to the all-round development of Bengaluru and would provide all support to the infrastructure projects.
Speaking at a function at Abdul Bari’s High School grounds to launch the underground tunnelling on one stretch of Phase-II the of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) from Cantonment Metro station to Shivajinagar Metro station (Reach-6), the CM said, “Bengaluru has been identified among the cities that are developing at a fast phase at the global level.
Accordingly, providing basic infrastructure support is the duty of the government.” Stating that Metro is easing traffic congestion in the City and helping people reach their destinations quickly, Yediyurappa said, “Work on all the reaches of the Metro Phase-II has begun and it is expected to be completed by 2024.”
Earlier, a small puja was held near the Cantonment station and the CM pressed a remote button that pressed the Tunnel Boring Machine ‘Urja’ into action.
TBMs are required to bore through the underground rocks and pave way for creating rail infrastructure for the 13.9 km underground corridor from South Ramp near Jayanagar Fire station to North Ramp near Nagawara underground Metro Station with 12 underground stations. Two tunnels are set to be created with each running to a length of 10.37 km.
Explaining the route to be dug by Urja, a senior official said, it would first drill for 865 metres from Cantonment (South side) to Shivajinagar. “It will then be dismantled and brought back to Cantonment. It will be assembled and then drill on the north side of Cantonment and head to Pottery Town for 800 metres. From there, it will head to a shaft near Tannery Road.
The second TBM Vindhya too will begin drilling after Urja has covered some distance as both cannot work in close proximity to each other,” he explained. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director Ajay Seth billed the commencement of tunnelling as a big milestone. “It marks the resumption of tunnelling in the City which stopped in 2017 after completion of the Underground Corridor of Phase-I,” he said. Chief Public Relations Officer B L Yashvanth Chavan said following the formal launch, the first task for the machine involved is breaking down a rock face and it will start soon. The CM was accompanied by DyCM C N Ashwath Narayan and Revenue Minister R Ashoka during the launch.