Pune: The PMRDA has shifted into action mode to accelerate work on the Maan–Hinjewadi–Shivajinagar Metro Line 3, with senior officials undertaking on-ground inspections to identify and resolve critical bottlenecks delaying progress.Officials said the 23km route would start operations in phases, with twelve stations are likely to open by mid-June, followed by finishing the remaining 11 stations by Oct this year.Additional metropolitan commissioner K Manjulakshmi of Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) on Wednesday conducted a detailed site review across multiple stretches of the corridor, which is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Pune city and its key IT hub, benefiting thousands of daily commuters.During the inspection, officials flagged a major water leakage from a civic pipeline near the Pashan ramp at University Chowk, which has been hampering construction activity in the area. Immediate directions were issued to the authorities concerned to plug the leak and prevent further delays.The visit also focused on identifying other technical and logistical hurdles along the alignment, with instructions to clear obstacles and expedite pending works on priority.Officials said the intensified monitoring and ground-level intervention are aimed at ensuring adherence to timelines and preventing further slippages in the execution of the ambitious corridor, which is seen as a crucial link to decongest traffic and strengthen public transport infrastructure in the city.The operations of Line 3 till Shivajinagar will enable connectivity to the already operational Line 1 (PCMC to Swargate) and Line 2 (Vanaz to Ramwadi), which are being extended on both sides.This project is being implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, the first for a Metro project in the country, by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) created by a joint venture of the Tata Group and Siemens, dubbed the Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd (PITCMRL).
