Monday, 18 September 2017

Lucknow Metro- The Metro of Controversies

Lucknow Metro- The Metro of Controversies


Ever since Lucknow Metro stared operations, it has been embroidered in controversies after controversies. Some are non-work related, others include technical glitches, how would this new urban rapid transit system work out for Lucknow at the end?

Now, one of the major cities of India, Lucknow had been waiting for a mass transit system for a long time. The same problems experienced by others were still in place: rise in population, unacceptable and unpredictable journey times by road, uncontrollable levels of pollution. Hence, the Lucknow Metro has started.

A lot of time and efforts have been put into this. Apart from the technical factors, recently the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) was awarded a ‘green metro rail system’, giving platinum certificate to all its eight Metro stations on the ‘priority corridor.

The managing director of LMRC Kumar Keshav has said “With benefits ranging from water conservation, energy efficiency, use of renewable energy, rain water harvesting, material conservation and commuter facilities, LMRC’s Platinum certified stations are set to provide world class experience to the people of Lucknow.” With all these major sustainable initiatives, what went wrong?

First, there was the controversy of sidelining the ‘Metro Man of India’ E. Sreedharan during inauguration which led to high criticism of the local government. Then, a technical snag led to 101 passengers being rescued through emergency rear exit. Emergecy break was applied; also there were reports that the lights and the air-conditioning system were not working when the train stopped.


Recently, Lucknow metro riders have been accused of smearing the station wall with paan stains. Just yesterday, more than 20 kg of tobacco products have been recovered from the daily commuters. With all these difficulties and technicalities putting an obstacle in its path to success, would the Lucknow Metro be extremely viable travel option? Let’s wait and watch!

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