Odisha’s Metro rail project: Can State govt address the elephant in the room

When Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the much-debated Metro rail project connecting Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Puri on the occasion of Utkala Dibasa (April 1), the people of the twin cities welcomed it with applause.

The residents of the twin cities are gradually getting used to the long traffic snarls in the morning and evening hours. The ambulances and other emergency vehicles in particular getting stuck in the busy traffic on Bhubaneswar streets is a common sight for many. The ambitious Metro rail project is expected to ease the traffic congestion, particularly in the peak hours in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to a great extent.

However, at the same time, there is a faction of the smart city residents that did not hesitate to address the elephant in the room as well; the viability of the project and land acquisition in urban areas.

land acquisition is a major factor in any road or railway project, as seen in the past in the case of Khordha-Bolangir railway project, viability or profitability of this Metro rail has also emerged as a major concern for many. If we take the example of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which despite ferrying 50 lakh passengers every day is still struggling to make profits, the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri Metro would seem far from being viable.

In fact, former Minister Pratap Jena had once said in the State Assembly that metro project is not feasible in the twin cities till 2041. Corroborating the concern, MD of Angul-Sukinda Railway Limited, Dilip Samantray said, “If we wait for the project to be viable, then it will be too late. The government will have to make alternative arrangements to compensate the loss which will be incurred in the project.”

Speaking to reporters, Odisha Planning and Convergence Minister, Rajendra Dholakia said, “The Chief Secretary has been entrusted to prepare the plan. A committee will be formed to take decisions on land acquisition and other issues pertaining to the project soon.”

However, the daily commuters of the twin cities, who are least concerned about the feasibility of the project, have other concerns as well. It is the deliverability of the project on time. Taking a cue from the under-construction Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Baramunda in Bhubaneswar, the completion date of which is getting extended every year since its tender was floated in 2017, a Bhubaneswar resident said, “Metro train will help us to a great extent by cutting short our travel time. But I am apprehensive that the project will ever see the light of day. The government needs to deliver on its announcements without resorting to deadline extension tactics.”

In the first phase, the government will create the metro trunk route from Trishulia near Cuttack to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. The route will tentatively touch major landmarks such as Nandankanan, Patia, Vani Vihar, Railway Station, and so on. As the project will start from near Subash Bose Setu near Trishulia, it will enable commuters from Cuttack to access important locations in Bhubaneswar. In later phases, the metro will expand to Khordha and Puri. However, there is no clarity yet on the DPR, final estimate, and funding source for the metro rail project.

(Reported By Kapilendra Pradhan & Harihar Chand, OTV)