Gurugram, Feb 22 (IANS): A meeting to review the proposed metro connectivity between Gurugram-Faridabad held here on Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by Madhu Azad, Mayor, Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG).

The proposed route will connect Bata Chowk in Faridabad and Vatika Chowk in Gurugram, which will benefit the commuters travelling between these two major cities of Haryana.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 5,900 crore with eight metro stations enroute. The total length of the line would be 32.14 km, of which 27.94 km would be elevated and 4.19 km will be underground.

Under the proposed project, the MCG will provide 20 hectares of land for setting up a metro depot in village Balola of Gurugram, the proposal for which will be placed in MCG's next house meeting scheduled on February 24.

According to the civic body officials, a 50-acre area in village Balola comes under the municipal corporation boundaries, which is in the category of uncultivable land and comes under the purview of sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act.

"Presently this land is under the forest department. In the diversion of the said land of village Balola, the equivalent non-forest land has to be handed over to the Forest Department. The land in the village Nathupur also falls under the category of uncultivable land, which is suitable for diversion. This land can be given to the forest department for plantation activities," said an MCG official.

"Gurugram-Faridabad Metro connectivity is a very important project. After its construction, commuters will get better transport facility, which will save time as well. Metro rail connectivity would reduce the vehicular pressure on the roads and would also help in reducing environmental pollution," Azad said.

The greenery in the area will also increase as the forest department will be provided land for plantation activities in Nathupur village in lieu of the land of village Balola, she added.