The proposed extension of the Aqua Line in Greater Noida from Sector 51 to Knowledge Park V has received the approval of the Public Investment Board (PIB) and can now be placed before the Union Cabinet, whose clearance will allow work to begin on the project. This is the first of the two proposed extensions of the Aqua Line, the other being the expressway arm from Sector 142 to Botanical Garden, the alignment and other aspects of which are yet to be finalised. In a statement last week, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) said the PIB clearance came last month at a meeting chaired by the finance and expenditure secretaries and attended by the secretary of the ministry of housing and urban affairs as well as Noida Authority chief executive officer and NMRC managing director Ritu Maheshwari. The extension, which has already been approved by the state government, will cover 14.9 km over nine stations and will be built at a cost of Rs 21.97 billion. “This will provide a fast, reliable and environment-friendly public transportation system in the area,” the NMRC stated. This corridor will be built in two phases. The first phase of 9.6 km will have five stations, while in the second phase of 5.8 km, four stations will be built. NMRC will build this corridor itself, unlike the main Aqua Line, which was developed by DMRC. An NMRC official said the detailed project report (DPR) of the Knowledge Park V extension route will be sent to the Cabinet for final approval. See also: Hitachi bags signals contract for Chennai Metro Phase IINagpur Metro Phase II's foundation stone laid by Prime Minister