Delhi Metro's Magenta Line fully operational, open from Tuesday
New Delhi, May 28: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday inaugurated the remaining portion of Delhi Metro's Magenta Line, making operational the full service running from Noida's Botanical Garden to west Delhi's Janakpuri.
The 25-km stretch from Kalkaji Mandir in south Delhi to Janakpuri West station was the longest stretch to be inaugurated in one go.
The section of the line connecting Botanical Garden with Kalkaji Mandir was opened last December.
Using the line, commuters will be able to reduce travel time between Noida and Gurugram to 50 minutes from the current over 90 minutes.
There will be four interchange stations on the entire line, connecting commuters with Blue, Yellow, and Violet Lines at these points.
After flagging off the train, Kejriwal congratulated the Delhi Metro Rail Corp for the new line and said it will "bring down pollution and traffic from the roads".
Asked what became of the six new lines proposed under phase-IV, he said his government's Finance Department had some issues with some of the lines but "the decision is under consideration" and he will soon take it up in the Cabinet.
Pressed for his views on Phase-IV, Puri said: "We have full faith that with the support of the Delhi government, we will be able to work on this."
Before this he had said: "Delhi Metro now has a network of 277 km. By December this year, it will reach the 380-km mark."
Totalling 104 km, phase-IV has six lines which are waiting for the approval of the Delhi government. Its Finance Department in April cleared three of the six corridors, but ruled out the others as commercially unviable. However, a final decision is yet to be made.
Janakpuri West-R K Ashram (28.92 km), Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km) and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block (7.96 km) were the ones which had got the government's nod, while the Rithala-Bawana-Narela (21.7 km), Tughlakabad-Aerocity (20.2 km) and Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.6 km) corridors failed to do so.
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Groundwater depletion causes Earth's axis to shift by 31.5 inches: Study
A recent study has uncovered a significant impact of human activity on the planet: Earth's axis has shifted by 31.5 inches (nearly 80 centimeters) due to extensive groundwater extraction. Published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the research highlights how large-scale pumping of groundwater has changed the distribution of Earth's mass, affecting its rotation and contributing to sea-level rise. The shift in Earth's tilt is linked to a sea-level increase of 0.24 inches, according to Popular Mechanics.
Lead researcher Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University, explained that among climate-related factors, the redistribution of groundwater has had the most significant effect on the movement of Earth's rotational pole. The planet's tilt, or axial precession, is influenced by changes in mass distribution. As glaciers and polar ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica melt, water migrates towards the equator, shifting the planet's balance—a phenomenon comparable to how a figure skater’s spin changes when they alter their body position.
The study examined data from 1993 to 2010, revealing that approximately 2,150 gigatons of groundwater were pumped out during this time, largely for agricultural and human consumption. This large-scale extraction has contributed to a shift in Earth's axis of about 31.5 inches.
Groundwater, which is water stored underground in soil and rock, plays a crucial role in the hydrological cycle. It originates from precipitation that seeps into the earth, replenishing natural aquifers. These aquifers are vital freshwater resources, supporting drinking water supplies, agriculture, and industry. The availability and quality of groundwater depend on natural factors like recharge rates and human activity.
While the 31.5-inch shift in Earth's axis might seem minor, the consequences could be far-reaching over geological timescales. Changes in water distribution can lead to varying sea-level changes across regions, affecting coastal areas differently. Additionally, shifts in Earth's tilt can influence its internal systems, such as the magnetic field, which acts as a shield against harmful solar radiation.
