‘Metro I will be ready by 2011’ : DNA 22nd Nov, 2010

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/interview_metro-i-will-be-ready-by-2011_1470067

Published: Monday, Nov 22, 2010, 3:51 IST 
By Ninad Siddhaye | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA 

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It is probably for the first time that a top official working on the first metro corridor in the city, connecting Versova and Ghatkopar via Andheri (VAG), has spoken out against criticism levelled against the project. In an interview with DNA, Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) director KP Maheshwari has said that the line will start running by 2011. Excerpts from the conversation:

Authorities have been at the receiving end of criticism regarding the sluggish rate at which work for the first line is going on. Some have said the corridor will not be complete before 2018. What is your response?

These allegations have very little base. I am confident that the first metro will be ready by the middle of next year. During the past 45 days or so, we have been able to mobilise huge resources to speed up work in spite of several hurdles. The monsoon has been erratic, and there have been festivals like Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and Eid one after the other. The market has also seen a huge shortage of sand and steel. Shortage of skilled and unskilled labour is an ongoing issue. Despite these constraints, we worked 232% faster in October than in the previous four months.

There have been allegations that authorities have not taken permissions from the fire brigade. Critics claim that the stations are designed in such a manner that fire engines will find it difficult to reach adjoining buildings in case of emergencies.

There is little truth in these allegations. First and foremost, the designs of the entire corridor have been finalised by the MMRDA [Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority] and not us. Though it’s a fact that the stations are right in the middle of the road, one must understand that this is the first railway project in the city after the British laid the suburban rail network over 150 years back. The significance of the metro cannot be overlooked. While constructing the stations, we have gone by the most stringent fire safety code — the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 130 — in the United States. Our fire safety works in three stages: prevention, detection and fire-fighting. Within the stations, we have special mechanisms to help assist the fire brigade fight fire in adjacent buildings as well.

What about the civil work? Even pillars have not been erected in some parts. What is the progress of the rail over-bridge (RoB), the most complicated part of the alignment?

Civil work is just 3% of the metro construction. By October, 87% of our viaduct works have been completed, while 69% of pile caps have been done. Sixty-three per cent of piers are also ready. In the station works, 83% piles have been done, while 81% columns are ready. Construction for our car depot in DN Nagar is on in full swing. The first metro train is already in town. The second is undergoing 85 to 100 tests in China. Our transformer installation work is also on. The civil work, depot construction and other works should be complete by June next year. Work for the Andheri RoB has also started, with the railways clearing the utility shifting part.

People often complain about the inconvenience caused by metro work.

I can only request them to bear with us. Look at New Delhi, where people suffered similar problems but their lives became easier once the metro was up and running. There is inconvenience, as the construction material and vehicles have to be stationed in the middle of important roads. Once the metro starts running, people will understand how vital it will be in changing their lives.