₹12,940 crore spent on six Metro lines in Mumbai

Currently, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is working on constructing five Metro corridors in the city while the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) is building one

The state government has spent ₹12,940 crore on the on-going construction work of six Metro corridors in the city from 2016 to the end of March, 2019. According to the state’s economic survey report 2018-19, the total expenditure amounts to 19% of ₹68,005 crore, the total cost of constructing the six Metro lines.

Metro construction work at Western Express Highway. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

Currently, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is working on constructing five Metro corridors in the city while the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) is building one.

According to the report, the largest chunk of the total expenditure — ₹9,402 crore — has been spent on the fully-underground Metro-3 (Colaba-Seepz) corridor by the MMRC. The corporation recently completed 50% of tunnelling works for the project, which costs ₹23,136 crore.

The next big chunk was spent on lines 2A (Dahisar-DN Nagar) and 7 (Dahisar East-Andheri East), both of which are expected to be up and running by December 2020.

According to the economic survey report, the MMRDA has spent ₹1,561 crore on Metro-7, wherein 67% of the civil works has been completed, and ₹1,351 crore on Metro-2A, wherein 63% of the civil works has been finished.

RA Rajeev, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said the next big expenditure will be on the systems. “We have a systems order of more than ₹3,000 crore, which includes rolling stock, signalling, telecommunications, etc. This expenditure is due in the next one year,” Rajeev said.

The MMRDA has also spent ₹201.30 crore on Metro-6 (Swami Samarth Nagar-Vikhroli); ₹227.98 crore on Metro-4 (Wadala-Kasarvadavali); and ₹196.31 crore on Metro-2B (DN Nagar-Mandale).

However, citizens, have been protesting against all the three routes.

While Powai residents have demanded rerouting Metro line 6, citizens have been demanding underground routes for lines 2B and 4.

AV Shenoy, a transport expert from Mumbai Vikas Samiti, said the MMRDA should have conducted public consultations before starting work on these projects. “This is a serious lacuna with the authority…there were no public consultations or citizen committees set up to weigh the projects before they spend such a huge amount on it,” he said.