Bhubaneswar, May 26 (IANS): Work for the much-talked-about metro rail project in Bhubaneswar capital region will start by the end of next December, a senior state government official said on Friday.

The metro rail system for Bhubaneswar capital region has been sanctioned by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been engaged as the consultant for the project, state Housing and Urban Development Secretary G. Mathi Vathanan told reporters.

"Survey for the project is almost completed and now the DPR is under preparation. Construction work is likely to commence before the end of 2023," he said.

Chief Minister Patnaik may lay the foundation stone for the mega project in June, Vathanan said.

In the first phase, the government will create the metro trunk route from Trisulia near Cuttack to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. The route will tentatively touch major landmarks such as Nandankanan, Patia, Vani Vihar, and the Railway Station.

In later phases, the metro will expand to Jatni, Khurda, and Puri, the official said.

On providing safe drinking water to urban population, Vathanan said 85 cities of Odisha including all five corporations have achieved 100 percent tap connection for households under the Drink from Tap Mission. The remaining 30 cities would be covered before December 2023.

He also said that 1.73 lakh families are granted with land right certificates in municipalities and NACs while slum household survey has been completed in five municipal corporations and 1 lakh slum families to be granted with land right certificates by December 2023.

The department has constructed 1,62,327 houses. In all 2,055 wards in 115 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) door to door garbage collection was ensured, he said.