Located at the heart of south Delhi, the Sir Vishveshvariah Moti Bagh metro station on the upcoming 8.1-km Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-Lajpat Nagar stretch of the Pink Line is likely to be thrown open for the public by this month end.
An artistic delight, the Metro station will cater to hundreds of commuters in the residential neighbourhoods of North Moti Bagh, RK Puram sectors-8, 9, 12 and13, New Moti Bagh, Aradhana Enclave, and Anand Niketan.
Hindustan Times brings the first look of the station, which will offer unique features such as tribal art from Chhattisgarh, a subway made by the ‘box pushing’ technology, parks around the station, and dedicated lanes for non-motorised vehicles to check chaos on the main road by rickshaws and mini-buses.
Unique design
As one follows the Metro pillars on the Pink Line from Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Metro station towards Moti Bagh, the alignment suddenly moves to the right, parallel to the flyover.
The Metro officials managing the project said that this had to be done because the station was coming in the way of the existing Moti Bagh flyover. To accommodate this, a few rows of central government flats had to be demolished.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) converted the space on the sides of the residential complexes into parks. “After this station, the alignment goes back to the central verge,” a senior Metro official said.
The geometry of the road has been improved to make turns towards Satya Niketan and from Bhikaji Cama Place signal-free without disrupting the movement of the main carriageway.
VIP location
The design of this metro station was particularly challenging for the DMRC because of the proximity to VIP areas. The station is 200 metres away from the gates of New Moti Bagh, which houses senior government officials.
The designers had to ensure the construction did not disrupt traffic movement —which often caters to ministers and senior officers —and maintained aesthetic sense.
“We have not caused any hindrance to traffic movement. This is a busy stretch and any disruption would have brought the city to a standstill. We overcame all these challenges,” the official said.
Delhi Traffic Police estimates show the Rao Tula Ram Marg intersection, where the station is situated, gets around 1.25 lakh vehicles everyday during peak rush hours in the morning and evening.
The station will also cater to the crowd from at least six schools in the neighbourhoods.
Art installations
The station has improved the aesthetic value of the neighbourhood, with tribal art from Chhattisgarh adorning the station walls. The pillars on the main road have been decorated with traditional Indian jali work, which lights up during the night.
On the outer walls of the stations, sections that are visible to commuters crossing the flyover, art work around the theme of nature have been installed. The overall colour theme of the station is yellow and green, painted by the station’s branding partners Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL).
“The pillars between South Campus and Moti Bagh have tile art done by students of a nearby public school,” a Metro official said.
Subway
To help commuters cross the busy Ring Road, the Metro has constructed a subway right outside the exit gate connecting RK Puram Sector-12 with Sector-13.
What differentiates this subway from the rest is that traffic movement on Ring Road was not disrupted during its construction.
Metro officials said they used the ‘box pushing’ technology to construct this stretch. In this method, sections of the subway are created around the entry point and are then “pushed” inside as they are made one by one.
“Using this, we did not have to dig through the busy Ring Road,” the Metro official said.
