Cities with over 2 milion may get Metro - Indian Express - 18/11/11

Cities with over 2 milion may get Metro

Posted: Fri Nov 18 2011, 01:19 hrs New Delhi:Indian Express 

Cities with a population of over two million can now hope to get a metro system of their own. The government is drawing up a list of such cities to examine the possibility of introducing the urban transport option in these places. Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday announced that cities such as Nagpur, Ludhiana, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh are being considered for a metro system.

Nath said that in cities where metro projects are already being implemented, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Bangalore, further corridors are being planned so that the next phases are executed quickly.

Even as the Mumbai Metro runs behind schedule, the government is considering Line III from Colaba to Mahim/Bandra, a 20.4 km stretch at the cost of Rs 12,015 crore. Inter-ministerial consultations on the detailed project report are underway.

The process to obtain viability gap funding for the next phases of metro projects in Jaipur and Bangalore is also underway and a proposal for a 9 km extension of the Chennai Metro’s Line I has been received by the Ministry of Urban Development.

Meanwhile, detailed project reports (DPR) for Ludhiana, Pune, Ahmedabad and Lucknow have been prepared while those for Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh are under preparation. Nath said he has also written to the Maharashtra Chief Minister to initiate work on a DPR for Nagpur. “The Centre will bear 50 per cent of the cost of preparing the DPRs for metro rail systems in all cities with a population of more than two million,” Nath said.

“With a large number of metro projects already underway, the government has called for the setting up of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority to achieve institutional, infrastructure and operational integration, a national common mobility card for fare integration and proper pedestrian and cycling facilities in the catchment areas of all metro stations as well as introduction of Public Bicycle Scheme.”

“We are also trying to promote indigenisation and have asked the Delhi Metro to purchase most of their equipment through manufacturing facilities in the country. We will make this condition mandatory in all future metro projects,” Nath said.

Since Metro is a Central subject, all metro rail projects shall be taken up under the Central Metro Acts only.

 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cities-with-over-2-milion-may-get-metro/877453/0

Why the Mumbai Metro is far off the track - DNA 17/11/2011

Why the Mumbai Metro is far off the track

Published: Thursday, Nov 17, 2011, 9:00 IST 
By Ninad Siddhaye | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Barely a week ago guardian minister of Mumbai suburbs Mohammad Aarif Naseem Khan made tall promises that the first line of the metro running on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor would be commissioned by November next year.

However, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA’s) accounts of the work on the project paint a grim picture. It has admitted that only 70% of the civil work for alignment and 60% of the civil work for the 12 metro stations have been completed so far.

According to information accessed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by activist and whistleblower Anil Galgali, Mumbai Metro One is far from being on track. “I was shocked when my RTI application revealed that 60% of work for metro stations and 70% of civil work for the alignment has been completed (see box). This is certainly not old information since the RTI reply is dated October 20, 2011,” said Galgali.

The MMRDA has neither revealed details of escalation of cost due to delay, nor has it put a finger on the deadline. The RTI reply pegs the cost of the project at Rs2,356 crore and states that the MMRDA holds a 26% stake in the first metro project that is being done on a public-private partnership basis.

It adds that the viability gap for the project is about Rs650 crore. The central government is shouldering Rs471 crore of it, while the state as well as the MMRDA will bear the rest.

“However, the authority has failed to clarify cost escalation. When work for this alignment had started in February 2008, the Reliance Infrastructure-led consortium had claimed that it would finish work well before March 2012, which is the construction period as per the agreement. However, now since the work has been delayed because of several reasons, there has to be a huge cost escalation. The MMRDA has not bothered to give details of the same,” said Galgali.

Need more proof that the metro plan is in doldrums? In the RTI application, Galgali had asked about the target date of completion when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had performed the bhoomipoojan for the first line on June 21, 2006. The official reply:

No deadline. “This again indicates the apathy of planning the metro in Mumbai,” rued Galgali.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_why-the-mumbai-metro-is-far-off-the-track_1613675

Letter from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development

 

  

RTI reveals slack progress on delayed VAG Metro Corridor - Governance now.com - 16/11/2011

Only 70 percent civil work on its alignment and 60 percent for its 12 metro stations en-route was complete as on October 2011

GEETANJALI MINHAS | NOVEMBER 16 2011

Contrary to the claims of executing agencies, right to information (RTI) query on Mumbai’s much awaited first metro corridor  has revealed that only 70 percent civil work on its alignment and 60 percent for its 12 metro stations en-route was complete as on October 2011.

The information  stands in sharp contrast  to claims by Mumbai  Suburbs Guardian Minister, Naseem  Khan last week where he said that Metro line along  Versova- Andheri –Ghatkopar route  is likely to be commissioned by November next year.

As per the RTI reply, cost of the first metro project- a first on public private partnership (PPP), is Rs 2356 crore.

MMRDA is 26 percent stakeholder in the project. Central government is pooling in Rs 471 crore out of total amount of Rs 650 crore of Viability Gap , while balance cost of Rs 179 crore is shared by the state government as well as MMRDA.

“The authority has failed to clarify cost escalation. When work for its alignment had started in February 2008, as per the agreement , Reliance Infrastructure led consortium had claimed that it will finish work well before March 2012. However now since work has been delayed because of several reasons  there is bound to be huge escalation, but MMRDA has not bothered to give the details of the same,” says activist Anil Galgali who filed the RTI.

Referring to its Bhoomipujan by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June 21, 2006 when Galgali  inquired about its target completion date he was told that ‘no deadline’ was set for VAG  completion.“This further indicates authorities’ indifference in planning  the metro in Mumbai,” he says.

Further as per MMRDA records, six people lost their lives since the inception of the project in February 2008. On May 14, 2008 Vijay Kumar, a businessman lost his life when 80 tonne piling rig fell on the auto rickshaw he was traveling in at Andheri (W).

Vinod S B Singh, the auto rickshaw driver was injured in the mishap. Due to open wires, Navin Prasad Singh was electrocuted to death near Andheri railway station during heavy rains on July 14, 2009. On March 7, 2011, dead body of Namdev Jadhav was found near Sarvodaya Hospital in a pit. The investigations for this casualty are still on. Dattatray Padekar and Pratap Padekar (both students) fell in a three meter deep pit in Sakinaka and lost their lives on April 9, 2011. On July 7, Banawar Lal a construction worker died near Navrang cinema when he fell off from a 12 meter girder.

Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) has so far paid more than Rs 40 lakh  in compensation to the relatives of the deceased.
 
Status of Civil Work of Alignment  as per RTI query :

Pile Caps plus Rafts-  Total: 464, Complete : 449
Peers-  Total: 451,  Completed : 413

Peer Cap Construction- Total: 431, Complete :345
Peer Cap Launching- Total: 431, Complete:376

U Girder Construction- Total: 759, Complete: 665
U Girder Launching- Total: 759, Complete: 540

Station Piles- Total: 888, Complete: 760
Station Pile Caps plus Raft- Total: 298, Complete: 249
Station Pillars- Total:449, Complete: 393

http://www.governancenow.com/gov-next/rti/rti-reveals-slack-progress-delayed-vag-metro-corridor

Now, Metro line to run underground - 29 Nov, 2011 - Hindustan Times

Now, Metro line to run underground

Zeeshan Shaikh, Hindustan Times

Mumbai, November 29, 2011

Under flak for the tardy progress on its elevated Metro lines, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has now come up with an ambitious plan for extending the Metro line. The planning authority has proposed the city’s first underground Metro line, which will run from Colaba to Bandra till Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ).

The planning authority officials recently met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in an attempt to seek state government’s support for expediting work on this project.

“We have proposed the underground Metro from Colaba to SEEPZ. The presentation was made to the CM so that we get the government nod to expedite the project,” a senior MMRDA official said.

The 33 km Metro line will run completely underground and will be built at an estimated cost of Rs16,200 crore.

However, unlike the two Metro lines, this will not be built on a public-private partnership basis. The line will be built by the planning authority with nearly 50% funds procured by way of loan from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

Even though building an underground Metro will be a costly exercise, MMRDA officials believe that working underground will cause minimum discomfort to the city’s residents and problems of regulatory clearances will be minimised.

The MMRDA is already reeling under criticism as work on its elevated Metro project is still incomplete. The first Metro line, Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, was expected to be complete by March 2011 but is unlikely to be operational before 2012.

Similarly, work on the second Metro line — Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd — was expected to start early this year but the project has not taken off due to lack of regulatory clearances.

Reliance Infrastructure, the agency which is building the Metro line, had written a letter to the state government complaining that delays in getting clearances were making this project financially unviable.

Many others have expressed concern over construction of an elevated Metro line in a city like Mumbai as narrow roads here will only add to traffic congestion.

The MMRDA was earlier planning to build a 20-km-long Metro line, from Colaba to Bandra. This line was supposed to be underground for the first 10km, from Colaba to Mahalaxmi, and then elevated on the remaining stretch, from Mahalaxmi till Bandra.

The planning body decided to extend the line from Bandra till the international airport as it hopes to reap in rich returns from this investment. This Metro line will connect city’s prominent business districts such as Nariman Point, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Andheri MIDC, SEEPZ and the international airport.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/mumbai/Now-Metro-line-to-run-underground/Article1-775380.aspx

DMRC for elevated rail, Ajit firm on underground metro - Indian Express - 21/11/2011

MANOJ MORE/Pune/Indian Express - 21/11/2011 

Even as Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is set to submit its final report to the state government on Monday on the proposed Pune metro in favour of an elevated rail, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday reaffirmed his faith on an underground metro as the best for the city. “After learning from other cities, I decided to support an underground metro. Although expensive, it’s in the interest of a bustling city like Pune,” he told this paper.

Rejecting an elevated metro he was earlier in favour of, he said projects in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi have led to environmental issues and noise pollution. He said, “Do we need a project that goes against public interest and health?”

The Pune Guardian Minister said although he had earlier supported an elevated metro, he changed his mind after realising several lacunae. “I have become aware of problems created by elevated metros. Apart from learning from other cities, I held discussions with experts and came to the conclusion that an underground metro is ideal for Pune,” he said.

If an elevated metro is taken up, the biggest hurdle would be during land acquisition, he said and added, “In an already congested city, displacing hundreds of people will unnecessarily disturb peace. For an underground rail, there is no need to displace people or acquire land. The project will take shape faster than an elevated one,” he said. Although it would require lot of money, it would be worth the investment. “If we consider the future of a growing city like Pune, we won’t regret the investment,” he said.

He said some sections of society and journalists were pushing for an elevated metro, but he was firm on his decision. “Although our party does not have the majority in the state or the civic body, we are firm on our decision,” he said.

NCP city unit chief Vandana Chavan said the party has taken the right decision. “First we thought an elevated metro would be good, but after a thorough study, we decided to pitch in for an underground metro. Our leader Ajit Pawar has made the right decision unlike some favouring an elevated metro without studying ground realities,” she said.

The underground metro has wide support among civic activists, experts, industrialists and parties like the Shiv Sena. The Pune Metro Jagruti Abhiyan (PMJA) has been on the forefront of the demand for an underground metro and applauded the NCP for its stand.

The PMJA Abhiyan said underground metro was any day better than an elevated one as far as environment, safety and saving trees or historical monuments are concerned. Industrialist and PMJA member Arun Firodia said they had been rooting for an underground metro.

“An elevated metro could be vulnerable as Pune is in seismic zone four, but not an underground metro,” said Narendra Bhagwat, an expert on underground rail. Dr Ketan Gokhale, former MD, Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, has also been in favour of underground metro because of its advantages.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dmrc-for-elevated-rail-ajit-firm-on-underground-metro/878528/0 

 

Centre will assist state in planning Metro’s second leg - Mumbai Mirror - 21/11/2011

Rahul Gadpale/ mumbai mirror / 21/11/2011

It’s a decision that could cut short your long wait for a comfy ride on the Metro. Frowning over the inordinate delay in implementing the first phase of the Metro project (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar), the Centre will now put in an equal amount of money as the state, instead of banking on a joint partnership of the public and private sectors, as is presently the case.

Union Minister for Urban Development, Kamal Nath, made this announcement in Delhi on Sunday.

So, pending Metro projects for your bustling metropolis could have a 50:50 funding by the state and central governments.

The first phase of the Metro is a partnership venture of a private company formed between nodal development agency, Mumbai Metropolitan Road Development Agency (MMRDA), and the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Company.

This private company has been claiming that 80 per cent of work is complete. However, the reply to a Right To Information (RTI) query has revealed that only 60 per cent of work has completed so far. The company has been saying that the first line, Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, will start functioning soon, but the information sought by the RTI shows that this is unlikely.

The bigger problem that emerged is that the company has not been able to plan the second line of the metro, the Charkop-Bandra-mankhurd line. There is much confusion over whether it should be underground or elevated, and it is unclear whether the company has sufficient funds. A senior MMRDA official said, “The second line is very complicated, and seems to have a lot of technical problems.”

Kamal Nath said the main reason there are so many problems with the project is that there are too many private players involved. Thus the central government has decided that the second line will progress like the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation did, with the help of the Centre. It has already instructed the state government to make a Detailed Project Report (DPR).

“The work was supposed to be finished before March 2012, as per the agreement,” said Anil Galgali, who filed the RTI and then filed a complaint with the minister. “However, the work has been delayed and there has been a huge escalation in costs, and the MMRDA has not given any explanation for this.”

The RTI filed shows that the total cost of the project is Rs 2356 crore. MMRDA holds 26 per cent stocks and Reliance holds the rest. The viability gap for the project is about Rs 650 crore, of which the central government will bear Rs 471 crore, and the state government and MMRDA will have to take care of the rest.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20111121201111210226234231924ac8c/Centre-will-assist-state-in-planning-Metro%E2%80%99s-second-leg.html