Green Line (Namma Metro)
The Green Line of the Namma Metro is part of the mass-transit rail system for the city of Bangalore, India. It will consist of 25 stations from Nagasandra to Puttenahalli under Phase I. When Phase II is completed, it will stretch from BIEC in the north to Anjanapura in the south. The line will measure 24.20 km and will be mostly elevated, with some stations underground. The opening of this line has been delayed several times, due to difficult tunnelling conditions. The southern stretch of the line is expected to be operational by December 2016, thereby completing the entire Phase I of the Namma Metro project. The line connects the northern, central and the southern areas of Bangalore. Currently, only a 13.30 km northern stretch, from Sampige Road to Nagasandra is operational.
The following dates represent the dates the section opened to the public, not the private inauguration.
The detailed project report (DPR) for Phase I, comprising the Purple and Green Lines, of the Namma Metro project was prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and submitted to the BMRCL in May 2003. The final approval on a scheme that incorporated the expertise of DMRC and RITES Limited did not come until April 2006. The DPR prepared by DMRC envisaged a 33 km (21 mi) elevated and underground rail network with 32 stations for Phase I of the project. The proposed gauge was standard gauge unlike the broad gauge on the Delhi Metro network. The rationale for the metro includes reduced journey times, cutting fuel use, accident reduction and lower pollution.
Construction work for Phase I of the Namma Metro project was scheduled to start in 2005 but was delayed by a February 2006, due to change of government in Karnataka and continued debate over whether the project was financially feasible and appropriate for the city. The Union Cabinet approved Phase I of the Namma Metro on 25 April 2006, when it was estimated to cost ₹5,400 crore (US$800 million). The cost escalated to ₹13,845 crore (US$2.1 billion) as various problems delayed the completion of the project. Land acquisition for Phase I of the project cost ₹2,500 crore (US$370 million). BMRCL secured ₹6,500 crore (US$970 million) through long-term loans and ₹300 crore (US$45 million) by selling bonds, while the remaining project cost was funded by Central Government and the State Government. BMRCL secured loans from several agencies - ₹3,000 crore (US$450 million) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ₹600 crore (US$89 million) from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO), ₹25 crore (US$3.7 million) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the rest from a French lending agency. Approximately 10% of the ₹6500 crore must be paid as interest by the BMRCL every year. The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry estimated that this amounted to an interest payment of ₹2 crore (US$300,000), however the BMRCL refuted the claims that the interest was that high, while confirming that it was "definitely more than ₹1 crore (US$150,000) per day."
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