Namma Metro Blue Line Stalled: Land Acquisition Delays Amid Costly Double-Decker Plans

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has put on hold its plans to issue a preliminary land acquisition notification for the the Blue Line or ORR-Airport Metro Line due to the Karnataka government's recent decision to mandate double-decker flyovers for all new Metro projects. The the Blue Line or ORR-Airport Metro Line is part of the Phase-3 project, which includes two elevated corridors approved by the Centre on August 17.

The estimated cost of incorporating double-decker flyovers along the the Blue Line or ORR-Airport Metro Line is approximately Rs 8,900 crore, which is significantly higher than the initial estimate. The cost is expected to be around Rs 215 crore per km, including land acquisition, covering 40.65 km of the 44.65-km Phase-3 project.

The Phase-3 project will feature two double-decker flyovers, one from Vega City Mall to Hebbal Junction and another from Hosahalli to Kadabagere. The state government's in-principle approval has led to the initiation of the process of identifying land for the line. The ORR corridor has been divided into three packages: JP Nagar to Mysuru Road, Mysuru Road to Hebbal, and Hebbal to Kempapura.

However, the revised acquisition plan will need to take into account the increased land requirements and higher project costs. According to officials, the Metro line will be elevated above the road, which will extend the project timeline by at least two years. The initial plan was to issue a preliminary notification under Section 28 (1) to landowners, but this has been put on hold due to the revised plan.

For the first package from JP Nagar to Mysuru Road, 30,326 square meters of land is required. Officials have identified 303 land parcels and gathered related documents, but these plans will need to be revised in light of the new requirements.