MMRDA to rope in Delhi Metro Rail Corp to pace up Mumbai Metros

Following CM Devendra Fadnavis’ call to complete at least 50 km of metro rail annually in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is in the process of terminating of consultants associated with at least four under-construction metro lines

MUMBAI: Following chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ call to complete at least 50 km of metro rail annually in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is in the process of terminating, or not renewing contracts, of consultants associated with at least four under-construction metro lines, and hand these over to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) instead.

Mumbai, India - August 2, 2019: Workers working on the metro construction side at Bandra in Mumbai, India, on Friday, August 2, 2019. (Photo by Satish Bate/Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

An MMRDA official, requesting anonymity, said that consultants of at least four metro lines - Metro 2B (Andheri West to Mandale), 4 (Wadala to Kasarvadavali), 5 (Thane to Bhiwandi) and 9 (Dahisar East to Mira-Bhayandar) - will have to make way for DMRC.

“These metro corridors are way behind their schedules. It is the responsibility of the consultants too, to ensure progress as per the project’s timeline,” said a senior official, “The existing contract does not have any incentive for the consultants to complete the work. The more the consultant works on the project, the more the company will draw based on the manhours.”

The possibility of incorporating payouts to the consultants based on a combination of work achieved (60%) and timelines adhered to (40%) is also likely to be put in place, said the official.

DMRC has created a vast metro rail network in the National Capital Region (NCR), which includes Delhi, New Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Greater Noida. The network comprises of 395.24 km with 289 stations. After the success in NCR, DMRC also started taking up consultancy services and project implementation projects. DMRC is also the implementation agency for Mumbai Metro 2B.

“For instance, we can get the Mumbai Metro 2B line, the most complex of all metro lines, completed in the next two years,” the senior official shared. The 23.64-km-long project has been in the works since November 2016. Metro 4 route’s work commenced in 2017, Metro 5’s in 2020 and Metro 9 line in the second half of 2019.

During MMRDA’s review meeting earlier this month, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis set the goal of completing 50 km of metro lines every year starting 2026. “We will deliver more than what we have planned,” the official added.

Principal executive director (corporate communications), DMRC, Anuj Dayal declined to comment on the subject.