Nagpur Metro acquires 68 per cent private land

Even though work has started on all four reaches of Nagpur Metro, it has acquired 68 per cent of private land required so far. It needs to acquire 20,850 sq m private land, of which 6,630 sq m remains. All the land required for Nagpur Metro from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Mihan India Limited (MIL), Central Railway and South-Eastern Central Railway (SECR) has reportedly been acquired. Visvesvarya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) have given in-principle approval for handing over their lands, however, possession is yet to be received. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also agreed to hand over its land but a Durga temple is located on it. As reported, the MahaMetro will have go in for unpopular step of shifting it. The largest amount of land required reportedly belongs to Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) – 4.34 lakh sq m. Land spanning about 25,000 sq m remains to be acquired. As reported, the MahaMetro has paid Rs 61 crore compensation to land owners so far, while Rs 1,222 crore remains to be paid. Most of the unpaid amount will be book adjusted as share of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), NIT and state and Central governments in the project.