100 lives lost to give Delhi its prized Metro

Over 100 workers have been killed during the construction of the metro railway in India's capital city, New Delhi, since 1998, according to a submission by the metro authorities.

The first line opened in 2002 in the city, offering commuters an air-conditioned and swift alternative to overcrowded buses and three-wheelers.

There has been pressure to upgrade it before October's Commonwealth Games.

Till last month, the Delhi Metro, whose network now expands across the National Capital Region, carried over 1.27 billion people.

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According to metro spokesman Anuj Dayal, most of the deaths had happened in road and other accidents around the construction sites.

"Only nine or 10 workers have died in incidents involving collapse of metro structures. There have been two such incidents of structural collapses," the British Broadcasting Corporation quoted him as saying.

Dayal, however, added that the metro's accident rate was low compared with similar construction projects around the world.

Authorities have informed that families of the deceased workers had received about 150,000 - 900,00 rupees (3,000 dollars to 20,000 dollars) in compensation.

The frequent accidents at metro sites have given rise to fears that safety standards are being compromised in the rush to build new lines, the BBC reports.

At least six people were killed when a pillar supporting a partly built bridge collapsed in July last year in south Delhi, BBC reports.

In the same month, a labourer was killed when a girder fell on him at a rail construction site.

In October 2008, two people were crushed to death and 12 injured when a bridge under construction collapsed on to a bus and cars below.

In May 2009, a pillar supporting a partly built bridge collapsed killing six workers in the city's Zamrudpur area. 

Meanwhile, the Central Secretariat-Qutub Minar line was thrown open to the public on Friday.

The Central Secretariat-Qutub Minar corridor will drastically reduce travel time between Delhi and its satellite city of Gurgaon.
It will take less than an hour for commuters to reach the Millennium City of Gurgaon from the capital's shopping hub of Connaught Place once the line becomes operational, as compared to at least 90 minutes by road.