PUNE: MahaMetro will start constructing pillars and the station in Range Hills and Khadki localities in the next few days with the ministry of defence giving a nod to the work in areas under its jurisdiction.MahaMetro Rail Corporation is constructing 16.5km Pimpri-Swargate stretch. Part of this stretch is aligned through the defence land in Khadki, Range Hills and Dapodi . After Range Hills, the Metro will go underground via Shivajinagar up to Swargate.MahaMetro and the state government had approached the defence ministry to allow the work and also hand over a portion of the land required for the project.MahaMetro officials on Monday said they would start the work within the next few days.“There is a plan to start the work in phases. We are sharing details of the plan with the defence officials to ensure speedy execution,” an official said.The work is planned on about 10 acres of land. MahaMetro has already extended construction of the foundations and pillars up to Dapodi.From Dapodi, the Metro viaduct will cross the river and enter the Khadki area. After the Khadki railway station , the viaduct will cross the railway tracks and move ahead to the Range Hills area.The proposal of handing over land for Metro work was under discussion for the last six months.The MahaMetro officials said the land required for the project has been received from the state government in the last two years.The permission from the defence ministry was awaited, the officials added.The work will include construction of the pillars of the Metro viaduct and the Range Hills station.The work of the station is likely to start in the initial stage, while construction of the viaduct in Khadki stretch will be planned in the later stages, the officials said.

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