Delhi - Googlecloud12/new-first- GitHub Wiki

Delhi This article is about the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India. For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). Not to be confused with New Delhi, the municipality and the capital city of India. Delhi (/ˈdɛli/, Hindustani pronunciation: [d̪ɪlliː] Dilli), officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi, is the Capital territory of India.[4] It has a population of about 11 million and a metropolitan population of about 16.3 million, making it the second most populous city and second most populous urban agglomeration in India.[5][6] Such is the nature of urban expansion in Delhi that its growth has expanded beyond the NCT to incorporate towns in neighbouring states and at its largest extent can count a population of about 25 million residents as of 2014.[7] The NCT and its urban region have been given the special status of National Capital Region (NCR) under the Constitution of India's 69th Amendment Act of 1991. The NCR includes the neighbouring cities of Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Neharpar (Greater Faridabad), Greater Noida, Bahadurgarh, Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Rewari, Baghpat, Meerut, Alwar, Bharatpur and other nearby towns. A union territory, the political administration of the NCT of Delhi today more closely resembles that of a state of India, with its own legislature, high court and an executive council of ministers headed by a Chief Minister. New Delhi is jointly administered by the federal government of India and the local government of Delhi, and is the capital of the NCT of Delhi. Delhi has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BC.[8] Through most of its history, Delhi has served as a capital of various kingdoms and empires. It has been captured, ransacked and rebuilt several times, particularly during the medieval period, and modern Delhi is a cluster of a number of cities spread across the metropolitan region Toponymy and idioms There are a number of legends associated with the origin of the name Delhi. One is that it is derived from Dhillu or Dilu, a king who built a city at this location in 50 BC and named it after himself.[9][10][11] Another legend holds that the name of the city is based on the Hindi/Prakrit word dhili (loose) and that it was used by the Tomaras to refer to the city because the Iron Pillar of Delhi had a weak foundation and had to be moved.[11] The coins in circulation in the region under the Tomaras were called dehliwal.[12] According to the Bhavishya Purana, King Prithiviraja,of Indraprastha built a new fort in the modern-day Purana Qila area for the convenience of all four castes in his kingdom. He ordered the construction of a gateway to the fort and later named the fort dehali.[13] Some historians believe that the name is derived from Dilli, a corruption of dehleez or dehali—both terms meaning 'threshold' or 'gateway'—and symbolic of the city as a gateway to the Gangetic Plain.[14][15] Another theory suggests that the city's original name was Dhillika.[16] The people of Delhi are referred to as Delhiites or Dilliwalas.[17] The city is referenced in various idioms of the Northern Indo-Aryan languages. Examples include: • Abhi Dilli door hai or its Persian version, Hanouz Dehli dour ast, literally meaning Delhi is still far away, which is generically said about a task or journey still far from completion.[18][19] • Dilli dilwalon ka shehr or Dilli Dilwalon ki meaning Delhi belongs to the large-hearted/daring.[20] • Aas-paas barse, Dilli pani tarse, literally meaning it pours all around, while Delhi lies parched. An allusion to the sometimes semi-arid climate of Delhi, it idiomatically refers to situations of deprivation when one is surrounded by plenty The area around Delhi was probably inhabited before the second millennium BC, and there is evidence of continuous inhabitation since at least the 6th century BC.[8] The city is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata.[9] According to this epic this land was initially a huge mass of forests called 'Khandavaprastha' which was burnt down to build the city of Indraprastha. The earliest architectural relics date back to the Maurya period (c. 300 BC); in 1966, an inscription of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (273–235 BC) was discovered near Srinivaspuri. Remains of eight major cities have been discovered in Delhi. The first five cities were in the southern part of present-day Delhi. Gurjara-pratihara King Anang Pal of the Tomara dynasty founded the city of Lal Kot in AD 736. The Chauhans conquered Lal Kot in 1180 and renamed it Qila Rai Pithora. For the next three hundred years, Delhi was ruled by a succession of Turkic and an Afghan, Lodhi dynasty. They built a number of forts and townships that are part of the seven cities of Delhi.[25] Delhi was a major centre of Sufism during this period.[26] The Mamluk Sultanate (Delhi) was overthrown in 1290 by the Khilji dynasty (1290–1320). Under the second Khilji ruler, Ala-ud-din Khilji, the Delhi sultanate extended its control south of the Narmada River in the Deccan. The Delhi sultanate reached its greatest extent during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325–1351). In an attempt to bring the whole of the Deccan under control, he moved his capital to Daulatabad, Maharashtra in central India, but by moving away from Delhi he lost control of the north and was forced to return to Delhi to restore order. The southern provinces then broke away. In the years following the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388), the Delhi sultanate rapidly began to lose its hold over its northern provinces. Delhi was captured and sacked by Timur Lenk in 1398.[27] Near Delhi, Timur massacred 100,000 captives.[28] Delhi's decline continued under the Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451), until the sultanate was reduced to Delhi and its hinterland. Under the Afghan Lodhi dynasty (1451–1526), the Delhi sultanate recovered control of the Punjab and the Gangetic plain to once again achieve domination over northern India. However, the recovery was short-lived and in 1526 the sultanate was destroyed by Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty. In 1526, Babur, a descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur, from the Fergana Valley in modern-day Uzbekistan, invaded India, defeated the last Lodhi sultan in the First Battle of Panipat and founded the Mughal Empire that ruled from Delhi and Agra.[9] The Mughal dynasty ruled Delhi for more than three centuries, with a sixteen-year hiatus during the reigns of Sher Shah Suri and Hemu from 1540 to 1556.[29] In 1553, the Hindu king, Hemu acceded to the throne of Delhi by defeating forces of Mughal Emperor Humayun at Agra and Delhi. However, the Mughals re-established their rule after Akbar's army defeated Hemu during the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556.[30][31][32] Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi that bears his name Shahjahanabad, which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1638 and is today known as the Old After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire's influence declined rapidly as the Hindu Maratha Empire from Deccan Plateau rose to prominence.[34] In 1737, Maratha forces sacked Delhi following their victory against the Mughals in the First Battle of Delhi. In 1739, the Mughal Empire lost the huge Battle of Karnal in less than three hours against the numerically outnumbered but militarily superior Persian army led by Nader Shah of Persia during his invasion after which he completely sacked and looted Delhi, the Mughal capital, carrying away immense wealth including the Peacock Throne, the Daria-i-Noor, and Koh-i-Noor. The Mughals, severely further weakened, could never overcome this crushing defeat and humiliation which also left the way open for more invaders to come, including eventually the British.[35][36][37] Nader eventually agreed to leave the city and India after forcing the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah I to beg him for mercy and granting him the keys of the city and the royal treasury.[38] A treaty signed in 1752 made Marathas the protectors of the Mughal throne in Delhi.[39] In 1757, the Afghan ruler, Ahmad Shah Durrani, sacked Delhi. He returned to Afghanistan leaving a Mughal puppet ruler in nominal control. The Marathas again occupied Delhi in 1758, and were in control till their defeat in 1761 at the third battle of Panipat when the city was captured again by Ahmad Shah.[41] However, in 1771, the Marathas established a protectorate over Delhi when the Maratha ruler, Mahadji Shinde, recaptured Delhi and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II was installed as a puppet ruler in 1772.[42] In 1783, Sikhs under Baghel Singh captured Delhi and Red Fort but due to the treaty signed, Sikhs withdrew from Red Fort and agreed to restore Shah Alam as the emperor.In 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the forces of British East India Company defeated the Maratha forces in the Battle of Delhi.[43] During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Delhi fell to the forces of East India Company after a bloody fight known as the Siege of Delhi. The city came under the direct control of the British Government in 1858. It was made a district province of the Punjab.[9] In 1911, it was announced that the capital of British held territories in India was to be transferred from Calcutta to Delhi.[44] The name "New Delhi" was given in 1927, and the new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931. New Delhi, also known as Lutyens' Delhi,[45] was officially declared as the capital of the Union of India after the country gained independence on 15 August 1947.[46] During the partition of India, thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees, mainly from West Punjab fled to Delhi, while many Muslim residents of the city migrated to Pakistan. Migration to Delhi from the rest of India continues (as of 2013), contributing more to the rise of Delhi's population than the birth rate, which is declining.[47] The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi.[48] The Act gave Delhi its own legislative assembly along Civil lines, though with limited powers.[48] In December 2001, the Parliament of India building in New Delhi was attacked by armed militants, killing six security personnel.[49] India suspected Pakistan-based militant groups were behind the attack, which caused a major diplomatic crisis between the two countries.[50] There were further terrorist attacks in Delhi in October 2005 and September 2008, resulting in a total of 103 deaths.[51] Ecology Main article: Environment of Delhi Delhi is located at 28.61°N 77.23°E, and lies in Northern India. It borders the Indian states of Haryana on the north, west and south and Uttar Pradesh (UP) to the east. During the British Raj, Delhi was part of the province of Punjab and is still historically and culturally connected to the Punjab region.[52] Two prominent features of the geography of Delhi are the Yamuna flood plains and the Delhi ridge. The Yamuna river was the historical boundary between Punjab and UP, and its flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture but are prone to recurrent floods. The Yamuna, a sacred river in Hinduism, is the only major river flowing through Delhi. The Hindon River separates Ghaziabad from the eastern part of Delhi. The Delhi ridge originates from the Aravalli Range in the south and encircles the west, north-east and north-west parts of the city. It reaches a height of 318 m (1,043 ft) and is a dominant feature of the region.[53] The National Capital Territory of Delhi covers an area of 1,484 km2 (573 sq mi), of which 783 km2 (302 sq mi) is designated rural, and 700 km2 (270 sq mi) urban therefore making it the largest city in terms of area in the country. It has a length of 51.9 km (32 mi) and a width of 48.48 km (30 mi). Delhi is included in India's seismic zone-IV, indicating its vulnerability to major earthquakes, but earthquakes have not been common in recent history.[54] Climate See also: Climate of Delhi Delhi features an atypical version of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The warm season lasts from 9 April to 8 July with an average daily high temperature above 36 °C (97 °F). The hottest day of the year is 22 May, with an average high of 38 °C (100 °F) and low of 25 °C (77 °F).[55] The cold season lasts from 11 December to 11 February with an average daily high temperature below 18 °C (64 °F). The coldest day of the year is 4 January, with an average low of 2 °C (36 °F) and high of 15 °C (59 °F).[55] In early March, the wind direction changes from north-westerly to south-westerly. From April to October the weather is hot. The monsoon arrives at the end of June, along with an increase in humidity.[56] The brief, mild winter starts in late November, peaks in January and heavy fog often occurs.[57] Temperatures in Delhi usually range from 5 to 40 °C (41.0 to 104.0 °F), with the lowest and highest temperatures ever recorded being −6.7 and 47.8 °C (19.9 and 118.0 °F) respectively.[58] The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 13 to 32 °C (55 to 90 °F). The highest temperature recorded in July was 45 °C (113 °F) in 1931.[59][60] The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 in), most of which falls during the monsoon in July and August.[9] The average date of the advent of monsoon winds in Delhi is 29 June.[61] Environmentalists have criticised the Delhi government for not doing enough to curb air pollution and to inform people about air quality issues.[66] Most of Delhi's residents are unaware of alarming levels of air pollution in the city and the health risks associated with it;[69][70] however, as of 2015, awareness, particularly among the foreign diplomatic community and high-income Indians, was noticeably increasing.[76] Since the mid-1990s, Delhi has undertaken some measures to curb air pollution – Delhi has the third highest quantity of trees among Indian cities[77] and the Delhi Transport Corporation operates the world's largest fleet of environmentally friendly compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.[78] In 1996, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) started a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India that ordered the conversion of Delhi's fleet of buses and taxis to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and banned the use of leaded petrol in 1998. In 2003, Delhi won the United States Department of Energy's first 'Clean Cities International Partner of the Year' award for its "bold efforts to curb air pollution and support alternative fuel initiatives".[78] The Delhi Metro has also been credited for significantly reducing air pollutants in the city.[79] However, according to several authors, most of these gains have been lost, especially due to stubble burning, a rise in the market share of diesel cars and a considerable decline in bus ridership.[80][81] According to CSE and System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), burning of agricultural waste in nearby Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh regions results in severe intensification of smog over Delhi.[82][83] The state government of Uttar Pradesh is considering imposing a ban on crop burning to reduce pollution in Delhi NCR and an environmental panel has appealed to India's Supreme Court to impose a 30% cess on diesel cars.[84][85] The Circles of Sustainability assessment of Delhi gives a marginally more favourable impression of the ecological sustainability of the city only because it is based on a more comprehensive series of measures than only air pollution. Part of the reason that the city remains assessed at basic sustainability is because of the low resource-use and carbon emissions of its poorer neighbourhoods Road Delhi has the highest road density of 2103 km/100 sq. km in India. Buses are the most popular means of road transport catering to about 60% of Delhi's total demand. Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Buses are operated by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), which owns largest fleet of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-fueled buses in the world. Personal vehicles especially cars also form a major chunk of vehicles plying on Delhi roads. Delhi has the highest number of registered cars compared to any other metropolitan city in India. Taxis, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws also ply on Delhi roads in large numbers. Important Roads in Delhi Some roads and expressways serve as important pillars of Delhi's road infrastructure: • Inner Ring Road is one of the most important "state highways" in Delhi. It is a 51 km long circular road which connects important areas in Delhi. Owing to more than 2 dozen grade-separators/flyovers, the road is almost signal-free. • Outer Ring Road is another major artery in Delhi that links far-flung areas of Delhi. • The Delhi Noida Direct Flyway (DND Flyway) is an eight-laned access controlled tolled expressway which connects Delhi to Noida (an important satellite city of Uttar Pradesh). The acronym DND stands for "Delhi-Noida Direct". • The Delhi Gurgaon Expressway is a 28 km (17 mi) expressway connecting Delhi to Gurgaon, an important satellite city of Haryana. • The Delhi Faridabad Skyway is controlled tolled expressway which connects Delhi to Faridabad, an important satellite city of Haryana. National Highways Passing Through Delhi Delhi is connected by Road to various parts of the country through several National Highways: • National Highway 1 (India) or (NH 1) is a National Highway in Northern India that links the National capital New Delhi to the town of Attari in Punjab near the Indo-Pakistan border. • National Highway 2 (India) (NH 2) commonly referred as Delhi-Kolkata Road is a busy Indian National Highway that runs through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. • National Highway 8 (India) (NH 8) is a National Highway in India that connects the Indian capital city of New Delhi with the Indian Financial capital city of Mumbai. • National Highway 10 (India) (NH 10) is a National Highway in northern India that originates at Delhi and ends at the town of Fazilka in Punjab near the Indo-Pakistan border. • National Highway 24 (India) (NH 24) is a National Highway in India that connects the National capital Delhi to Uttar Pradesh state capital Lucknow running 438 kilometers in length. Railway Delhi is a major junction in the Indian railway network and is the headquarters of the Northern Railway. The five main railway stations are New Delhi railway station, Old Delhi, Nizamuddin Railway Station, Anand Vihar Railway Terminal and Sarai Rohilla.[122] The Delhi Metro, a mass rapid transit system built and operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), serves many parts of Delhi and the neighbouring cities Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad. As of August 2011, the metro consists of six operational lines with a total length of 189 km (117 mi) and 146 stations, and several other lines are under construction.[123] The Phase-I was built at a cost of US$2.3 billion and the Phase-II was expected to cost an additional ₹216 billion (US$3.3 billion).[124] Phase-II has a total length of 128 km and was completed by 2010.[125] Delhi Metro completed 10 years of operation on 25 December 2012. It carries millions of passengers every day.[126] In addition to the Delhi Metro, a suburban railway, the Delhi Suburban Railway exists.[127] Metro The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. Delhi Metro is the world's 13th largest metro system in terms of length. Delhi Metro was India's first modern public transportation system which has revolutionised travel by providing a fast, reliable, safe, and comfortable means of transport. The network consists of six lines with a total length of 189.63 kilometres (117.83 miles) with 142 stations, of which 35 are underground, five are at-grade, and the remainder are elevated. All stations have escalators, elevators, and tactile tiles to guide the visually impaired from station entrances to trains. It has a combination of elevated, at-grade, and underground lines, and uses both broad gauge and standard gauge rolling stock. Four types of rolling stock are used: Mitsubishi-ROTEM Broad gauge, Bombardier MOVIA, Mitsubishi-ROTEM Standard gauge, and CAF Beasain Standard gauge. The Phase-I of Delhi Metro was built at a cost of US$2.3 billion and the Phase-II was expected to cost an additional ₹216 billion (US$3.3 billion).[124] Phase-II has a total length of 128 km and was completed by 2010.[125] Delhi Metro completed 10 years of operation on 25 December 2012. It carries millions of passengers every day.[126] In addition to the Delhi Metro, a suburban railway, the Delhi Suburban Railway exists.[127] Delhi Metro is being built and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC), a state-owned company with equal equity participation from Government of India and Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. However, the organisation is under administrative control of Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Besides construction and operation of Delhi Metro, DMRC is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail and high-speed rail projects in India and providing consultancy services to other metro projects in the country as well as abroad. The Delhi Metro project was spearheaded by Padma Vibhushan E. Sreedharan, the Managing Director of DMRC and popularly known as the "Metro Man" of India. He famously resigned from DMRC taking moral responsibility for a metro bridge collapse which took five lives. Sreedharan was awarded with the prestigious Legion of Honour by the French Government for his contribution to Delhi Metro. Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) The 08 RRTS Corridors have been proposed by National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) to facilitate the people travelling from nearby cities in NCR to Delhi. The three main corridors in first phase are as follows which are expected to become operational before 2019:

1. Delhi - Alwar via Gurgaon
2. Delhi - Panipat via Sonepat
3. Delhi - Meerut via Ghaziabad Remaining five corridors are also approved by National Capital Region Planning Board but are planned in the second phase. To make the project operational NCRPB has formed a separate body named as "National Capital Region Transport Corporation on the lines of DMRC to independently formalise and monitor its progress. As of 2007, private vehicles account for 30% of the total demand for transport.[122] Delhi has 1922.32 km of road length per 100 km2, one of the highest road densities in India.[122] It is connected to other parts of India by five National Highways: NH 1, 2, 8, 10 and 24. The city's road network is maintained by MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board, Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Development Authority.[129] The Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway connects Delhi with Gurgaon and the international airport. "The Delhi-Faridabad Skyway". connects Delhi with the neighbouring industrial town of Faridabad. The DND Flyway and Noida-Greater Noida Expressway connect Delhi with the suburbs of Noida and Greater Noida.[130][131] Delhi's rapid rate of economic development and population growth has resulted in an increasing demand for transport, creating excessive pressure on the city's transport infrastructure. As of 2008, the number of vehicles in the metropolitan region, Delhi NCR, is 11.2 million (11.2 million).[132] In 2008, there were 85 cars in Delhi for every 1,000 of its residents.[133] Sports Main article: Sports in Delhi Delhi has hosted many major international sporting events, including the first and also the ninth Asian Games,[193] the 2010 Hockey World Cup, the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Delhi lost bidding for the 2014 Asian Games,[194] and considered making a bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[195] However, sports minister Manohar Singh Gill later stated that funding infrastructure would come before a 2020 bid.[196] There are indications of a possible 2028 bid. The 2010 Commonwealth Games, which ran from 3 to 14 October 2010, was one of the largest sports event held in India.[197][198] The opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event, in New Delhi at 7:00 pm Indian Standard Time on 3 October 2010.[199] The ceremony featured over 8,000 performers and lasted for two and a half hours.[200] It is estimated that ₹3.5 billion (US$53 million) were spent to produce the ceremony.[201] Events took place at 12 competition venues. 20 training venues were used in the Games, including seven venues within Delhi University.[202] The rugby stadium in Delhi University North Campus hosted rugby games for Commonwealth Games.[202][203] The mess left behind after the Commonwealth Games prompted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to replace Sports and Youth Affairs minister Manohar Singh Gill with Ajay Maken in 19 January 2011 Cabinet reshuffle.[204] Cricket and football are the most popular sports in Delhi.[205] There are several cricket grounds, or maidans, located across the city. The Feroz Shah Kotla Ground (known commonly as the Kotla) is one of the oldest cricket grounds in India and is a venue for international cricket matches. It is the home ground of the Delhi cricket team, which represents the city in the Ranji Trophy, the premier Indian domestic first-class cricket championship.[206] The Delhi cricket team has produced several world-class international cricketers such as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Madan Lal, Chetan Chauhan and Bishan Singh Bedi to name a few. The Railways and Services cricket teams in the Ranji Trophy also play their home matches in Delhi, in the Karnail Singh Stadium and the Harbax Singh Stadium respectively. The city is also home to the Indian Premier League team Delhi Daredevils, who play their home matches at the Kotla, and was the home to the Delhi Giants team (previously Delhi Jets) of the now defunct Indian Cricket League. Ambedkar Stadium, a football stadium in Delhi which holds 21,000 people, was the venue for the Indian football team's World Cup qualifier against UAE on 28 July 2012.[207] Delhi hosted the Nehru Cup in 2007[208] and 2009, in both of which India defeated Syria 1–0.[209] In the Elite Football League of India, Delhi's first professional American football franchise, the Delhi Defenders played its first season in Pune.[210] Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, a suburb of Delhi, hosts the annual Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix.[211] The Indira Gandhi Arena is also in Delhi. Delhi is a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21. Violet Line (Delhi Metro) The Violet Line is one of the six lines of the Delhi Metro, a rapid transit system in Delhi, India. The line connects ITO station of the Blue Line via Central Secretariat station of the Yellow Line with Escorts Mujesar. The line consists of 28 metro stations with a total length of 35.175 kilometres (21.857 mi).[3][4][5][6] The Central Secretariat—Sarita Vihar section of the line was opened on October 3, 2010 and was extended to Badarpur on January 14, 2011. The line was extended from Central Secretariat up to Mandi House on June 26 2014 and further extended to ITO on June 8 2015.[7] An extension southwards till Escorts Mujesar in Faridabad was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 September 2015.[8] History The Violet Line was originally supposed to open in March 2010.[9] On July 12, 2009, a portion of a bridge under construction collapsed when its cantilever pier collapsed on load of launching girder at Zamrudpur, near East of Kailash, on the Central Secretariat – Badarpur corridor. Six people were killed and 15 others injured.[10] The day after, on July 13, 2009, a crane that was removing the debris collapsed, and with a bowling pin effect collapsed two other nearby cranes, injuring six.[11] An extension from the Badarpur-end of the line was opened on 6 September 2015 to cater to the sub-city colonies of Faridabad. This is the second line to cross the Delhi-Haryana border after the Yellow Line to Gurgaon. This extension runs fully elevated for 13.87 km and have 9 stations.[8] Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director Mangu Singh on Friday inspected ongoing work on the Central Secretariat-Mandi House stretch which will be an extension of the present Line 6 (Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate corridor). Work is also likely to pick up with the DMRC awarding more civil works contracts for sections in Phase III. “Mr. Singh inspected the construction site at Chelmsford Club where the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) for Phase III was lowered on January 31. He then checked the under-construction Janpath and Mandi House metro stations,” said a DMRC spokesperson. The 3.2-km underground stretch from Central Secretariat to Mandi House was the first in Phase III for which the construction contract was awarded in June last year. Two more civil contracts have been awarded in January for Phase III – one for the construction of stations and tunnels between Mandi House and Jama Masjid, the other for the construction of a viaduct of the Faridabad corridor. This 3.3-km section between Mandi House and Jama Masjid will be completely underground and cover three stations at ITO, Delhi Gate and Jama Masjid. “The stations will be constructed using cut-and-cover technology. The tunnelling distance for the section is around 2.5 km and will be constructed using a TBM. The contractors have been asked to complete this work in 42 months,” said the spokesperson. The completely underground corridor will be further extended up to Kashmere Gate. The 14-km Faridabad corridor will be completely elevated and is also an extension of Line 6 from Badarpur to Faridabad. This section (Badarpur-Faridabad) will have nine stations at Sarai, NHPC Chowk, Mewala Maharajpur, Sector 27 A, Badkal More, Faridabad Old, Ajronda, Faridabad New Town and YMCA Chowk. The section is extremely important because around 180,000 people from neighbouring Faridabad are expected to benefit from it. “The contractor will have to complete this project in 20 months,” said the spokesperson about the contract for viaduct construction. Contracts awarded for Phase III So far, the DMRC has awarded seven civil tenders for Phase III. These include the tender for construction of tunnels and stations for the Central Secretariat-Mandi House stretch; civil engineering work contract for design and construction of a bridge across the Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj (Okhla Barrage) on Line 8 (Janakpuri West-Kalindi Kunj); design and construction of viaduct and two elevated stations at Rohini Sector 18 and Badli on the Jahangirpuri-Badli corridor (Extension of Line 2); civil engineering works including design and construction of a bridge across the Yamuna on the Mukandpur-Yamuna Vihar corridor (Line 7); design and construction of tunnel by shield TBM, tunnel by cut-and-cover technology, construction of underground station at Azadpur by cut-and-cover method and ramps at Mukundpur and Shalimar Bagh for underground works on the Mukundpur-Yamuna Vihar corridor (Line 7). Contracts have been awarded to a mix of Indian and foreign companies. The first section of Phase III, Central Secretariat to Mandi House, is expected to be open for the public by December 2014. “The other section corridors of Phase III will be opened subsequently to meet the Phase III completion target of March 2016,” said the spokesperson.