Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushes for Namo Bharat RRTS Corridor Extension
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar to request an extension of the Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor from Modi Puram in Meerut to Haridwar.
At the same meeting, Dhami also pushed for the development of a separate Dehradun-Haridwar-Rishikesh metro corridor. If approved, these twin proposals could create an uninterrupted rapid rail link stretching from Delhi to the Himalayan foothills.
The Proposed Route
The new corridor would begin at Modipuram and extend northward, running parallel to National Highway 58.
- Modipuram, Meerut: The originating junction on the city's northern edge
- Daurala-Sakauti: An established industrial and educational belt
- Khatauli near Muzaffarnagar: Serving as a key linkage point
- Purkazi: Situated close to the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border
- Roorkee: Home to IIT Roorkee and a significant academic centre
- Jwalapur, Haridwar: Serving as a key tourism-linked station
- Rishikesh: India's adventure and yoga capital, as the terminal station
What It Would Mean
Should the project receive the green light, the benefits are expected to be wide-ranging:
- Modipuram would become the principal junction between the Delhi and Haridwar routes, triggering commercial activity in the area
- Muzaffarnagar is expected to emerge as a preferred destination for industrial townships and warehousing
- Roorkee would see a boost in student housing and paying-guest accommodation
- Demand for holiday homes and service apartments in Haridwar and Rishikesh could surge by as much as 200 per cent
- The journey from Delhi to Rishikesh could be reduced to just two-and-a-half to three hours, shifting tourism patterns towards rental villas and homestays
- Delhi-NCR residents may begin preferring second homes near Haridwar or Rishikesh over those in Meerut or Muzaffarnagar
Challenges Ahead
The proposal faces formidable obstacles that will need to be addressed before any construction can begin:
- The stretch between Roorkee and Rishikesh passes through Rajaji National Park and ecologically sensitive zones, requiring stringent environmental clearances
- Land acquisition along NH-58 presents a serious concern, with property prices in the corridor already at record highs
- The hilly terrain near Rishikesh would necessitate elevated tracks or tunnelling, adding complexity and significant expense
If a broad consensus is reached between stakeholders, the proposal would be referred to the Central Government, the Uttar Pradesh Government, and NCRTC for detailed consideration and next steps.