Five international funding agencies, including KFW of Germany, AFD of France and JICA of Japan, have shown interest in the funding the Rs 8,680-crore Nagpur metro rail project. The metro is expected to be operational by 2018. The special purpose vehicle Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (NMRCL) is executing the project, a joint venture of the Centre and the Maharashtra government. So far, 85 per cent of the land required for the project has been acquired. A budgetary grant of Rs 500 crore has already been sanctioned and construction has commenced on a 5-km stretch.

KFW could also consider granting another Rs 400 crore for creating a network of electric taxis, which will pick up passengers from their homes and drop them at the metro station and vice versa. The stations will also serve as charging points for the cars. Project designers would incorporate solar power panels in all the station buildings and other infrastructure being built by NMRC. From the panels, about 14 MW of power would be generated, which would account for 65 per cent of the power needs.


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