New Delhi, Jul 9 (IANS): Clearing the deck for the construction of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project, Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena has approved the long-pending transfer of land from the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department to the National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for implementation of the project.

According to officials, the transfer of land to NCRTC at Anand Vihar and Patparganj area will help with Multi Modal Integration (MMI) construction of RRTS Station and traffic circulation, and construction of ventilation shaft at the two locations respectively.

The NCRTC, through its letter on June 10, 2020, had informed of its land requirement for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor and asked for land to be given for achieving for Multi Modal Integration at Anand Vihar, which also houses a Railway Station, ISBT and a Metro Station.

It had also asked for land for construction of a ventilation shaft at Patparganj.

"After a delay of three years, the I&FC Department finally submitted the file in this regard for approval of the LG on May 29 this year. The land required by the NCRTC at Anand Vihar on bank of Trunk Drain-II, which is 2,297 square meters and is for a temporary period, for construction activities, while 8,129 square meters is required on a permanent basis for achieving MMI, Traffic circulation and the RRTS Station," the official sais.

The official said that NCRTC also required 953 square meters of land on a temporary basis for construction activities at Patparganj area on the bank of Ghazipur drain and an additional of 340 square meters of land for the ventilation shaft on a permanent basis. The total land parcel stands at 11,719 square meters.

"The I&FC Department has calculated the rate of transfer of aforesaid land parcel and quoted that the NCRTC will have to pay Rs 14.82 crore for land transfer on permanent basis and Rs 1.13 crore for land transfer on temporary basis," the official said.

In the recent past, the LG had also approved the transfer of land at Khichripur-Kondli on the bank of Ghazipur drain and this land parcel has already been handed over to the NCRTC after realisation of the requisite charges.

The RRTS project between Delhi and nearby cities in NCR had been envisaged to reduce the road congestion and pollution with the increasing number of vehicles on the road.

Besides this it will also provide affordable and safe Mass Rapid Transit System to people of NCR.