According to Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) officials, the number of families who will lose their homes or be displaced as a result of the construction of the Surat Metro in Gujarat will be reduced by 70%.
According to senior officials of Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation, redesigning metro stations and making minor changes to the metro rail route have helped reduce displacement (GMRC).
“In the Surat Metro project, we have reduced the number of Project Affected Families (PAFs) from 660 to 192, by making minor realignments. Major acquisition of private properties is done for stations and so we decided to redesign stations in such a way that the least number of families living around the proposed stations on the metro route gets affected,” said senior official of GMRC.
According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted for first phase of Surat Metro, about 676 households were expected to be affected by the Surat Metro where Rs 375 crore was set aside for relief and rehabilitation of such families. Of those affected by the project, 120 families stood to lose their residences, while 580 others who lose their livelihoods.
Similarly, we brought about changes in the design of metro stations by altering the entry and exit points to save residences or commercial establishments. Such changes have been brought about in 50 per cent of the proposed stations of Surat Metro,” the official added.
According to the DPR, the Majura Gate metro station had 39 PAFs. It had now been reduced to two. Similarly, PAFs at Kamela Darwaja station have been reduced from 22 to two, and those at Aquarium station have been reduced from 16 to two. There are now no PAFs at Bhesan station, where there were previously four affected families.
The metro alignment is planned along the centre of existing roads to minimise land acquisition, with a single pier supporting the viaduct. This allows existing roads to be used even after the metro is completed.