Gajuwaka MLA seeks reassessment of Vizag Metro route to safeguard public interests

VIJAYAWADA/VISAKHAPATNAM

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Andhra Pradesh unit president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday held deliberations with Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (APMRCL) Managing Director N.P. Ramakrishna Reddy, seeking a comprehensive reassessment of the proposed route of Metro Rail Project in Visakhapatnam.

The meeting, which took place at the APMRCL headquarters in Mangalagiri, comes amid mounting representations from the local stakeholders, including the members of the Gajuwaka Building Association, residential communities, and small business owners who have raised red flags about the potential displacement and land acquisition implications of the current metro alignment.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao, voicing these apprehensions, contended that the existing alignment, originally drawn up in 2015, may no longer reflect the realities of Visakhapatnam’s evolving urban fabric. Citing rapid infrastructural expansion and shifting land use patterns, he urged that the design be revisited through an updated field inspection and ground-level verification.

Emphasising that the metro project is an indispensable infrastructural leap for the city, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said its implementation must be people-centric and sensitive to livelihood concerns.

In response, Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy assured the formation of a fresh technical committee to undertake a holistic review of the alignment, with a mandate to assess social impact and optimise land acquisition.

The review is expected to balance engineering feasibility with socio-economic considerations, thereby charting a course that is both progressive and equitable.

The Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project, in its first phase, envisions a 46.23-km network comprising 42 stations. The revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), recently approved by the State government, has paved the way for tender issuance on July 28.

The ₹11,498-crore initiative will necessitate the acquisition of 99.22 acres of land. Social Impact Assessment (SIA) consultations held from July 16 to 18 identified 204 project-affected families and 108 families facing displacement.