India, July 6 -- The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) plans to open a 13-kilometre stretch of the 23-km Metro Line 3 - from Megapolis Circle to Balewadi Phata - by September this year, said officials.

The project, which began in November 2021, is developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model by PMRDA and Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd, a consortium led by Tata Group and Siemens.

Over the past six months, traffic congestion in Hinjewadi has become a major issue, drawing criticism from citizens, activists, and opposition leaders. To reduce public pressure and address the growing criticism, PMRDA has planned to begin operations on one stretch of the metro.

Officials said the metro work is expected to be fully...