Cantonment Metro: BMRCL retreats

Bengaluru: After months of protests, political pressure, discussions and persuasion against shifting the location of Cantonment Metro station to Bamboo Bazaar, the citizen power may have finally won.

While this isn't an official yet, BMRCL is reportedly looking to go by the old alignment of locating the Metro station near Cantonment Railway station.

"I was witness to a sudden engineering survey that began on Benson Cross Road, half way between Cantonment and Pottery town stations, along the route of the old alignment," said Rajkumar, one of the residents who was in the forefront of the campaign, against the shifting of Metro station to Bamboo Bazar.

"The surveyors were looking into the construction of a mid tunnel shaft, as is generally done for tunnels longer than 1,500 metres for air circulation, technical and evacuation purposes," Rajkumar added.

The campaign had amassed 35,000 signatures through an online petition against the change in the location of  Cantonment Metro station. They felt it would hamper inter modal connectivity.

Transport Expert Sanjeev Dyamnavar said, "It's a positive step by BMRCL. Citizens hope that BMRCL does it in right spirit and with the intention of locating Cantonment Metro near the railway station. Resurvey should remove all concerns of BMRCL and locate the mid shaft in such way that least number of properties and people are disturbed." An official source said that they were looking into the old alignment once again, as per people's demands. "Some acre of land would be required to place the mid-tunnel shaft. For this, a number of buildings might have to go. They are working on identifying these spots, to cause least possible effect on nearby buildings. A report will be sent to the Government on the same," the source added.

The citizens have been campaigning for the original alignment for enhanced connectivity. In a memorandum recently submitted to Metro officials the had listed various advantages of original alignment.

This included zero mile connectivity to Indian Railways, with integration of 40,000 footfalls per day at Cantonment Railway station. Air passengers from BIAL can get connectivity to Cantonment Railway through metro and it will also provide good integration with Shivajinagar bus stand.