Chennai Metro Phase II Land Acquisition to be Completed in 4 Months

Chennai Metro Rail Limited has assured that it will complete the land acquisition process for its Phase 2 expansion in the next four months. The project spreads over 118.9 km and comprises three major corridors: Corridor 3 from Madhavaram to SIPCOT, Light House to Poonamallee along Corridor 4, and Corridor 5 from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur.

The process for this phase began for land acquisition six years ago, after which CMRL has been steadfastly working its way through the acquisition of plots. Nowadays, it all boils down to the last leg of land acquisition in the last remaining stretch, being 99% with the land in hand along Rajiv Gandhi Salai. Of the 116.24 hectares needed for stations and infrastructures, the company has succeeded in obtaining 114.22 hectares, while only 2.02 hectares are still left to be obtained before May this year.

The acquisition of land was delayed due to design changes that had been brought in much later during the project. Land was needed especially in the Siruseri area between Sholinganallur and SIPCOT not to block the major roads and footpaths, but still, officials of CMRL feel that the rest of the land will be acquired quickly.

The initial plan of Phase 2 has been revised multiple times since its conception and the project cost and scope have been different at various points. It was initially estimated at Rs 88,000 crore dropped to Rs 69,000 crore and was again readjusted to Rs 61,843 crore. At present, the cost stands at Rs 63,846 crore.

With the land acquisition nearing completion, CMRL is on track to continue its expansion of Chennai’s metro network, which is expected to significantly enhance public transport options across the city.