Ajit Pawar defends NCP’s stand on Pune metro - DNA - 6/11/2011

Ajit Pawar defends NCP’s stand on Pune metro

Published: Sunday, Nov 6, 2011, 16:59 IST 
By DNA Correspondent | Place: Pune

Deputy chief minister and leader of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Pawar on Saturday justified the about turn by his party on the proposed metro railway project and bio-diversity 
park (BDP).

Pawar was speaking to media persons on the sidelines of an event in the city. He indirectly expressed unhappiness about chief minister Prithviraj Chavan who on Monday had declared in the city that 4% construction would be allowed in the BDP.

He said, “I had told the chief minister that citizens in Pune have different opinions about allowing construction in BDP. Hence, opinions of all groups should be taken into account before declaring a decision about it.’’

He said that people are suffering due to elevated metro railway projects in Bangalore and Mumbai. Although the expenditure for underground metro is three times that of elevated metro, it is more beneficial in the long run.

Accoring to Pawar, the NCP had initially supported the elevated metro railway project in the city in view of the expenditure. But considering the experience of citizens where elevated metro railway is built, NCP felt that there should be a correction in the stand. Work on the project has not even started in the city. “What is wrong in correcting the mistake?’’ Pawar asked.

Indicating opposition to allow construction in the BDP, he said that the NCP had nevertaken a stand about allowing construction. The party is of the opinion that hills around the city are its pride and they should remain green.

He said that funds can be raised with the help of central government, state government and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for the proposed BDP. Money can be raised also by providing transferable development rights (TDR) and floor space index (FSI) in other areas.

He challenged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde to prove that he has partnership with city builders.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_ajit-pawar-defends-ncps-stand-on-pune-metro_1608400

Motorists fume as debris piles up below Andheri metro girder - DNA - 11/11/2011

Motorists fume as debris piles up below Andheri metro girder

Published: Friday, Nov 11, 2011, 8:00 IST 
By Ninad Siddhaye | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

To businessman Dinesh Pujari, the daily commute to an industrial estate in Saki Naka is no less than a ride through hell. Heaps of debris left unattended under the metro girders on the Andheri-Kurla Road pose a risk to hundreds of motorists.

“Right from the Western Express highway, the entire stretch of the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road (AGLR) is in a mess, thanks to the metro construction debris. While in some stretches, the debris is inside the metro fencing, major portions, where work has been completed, have heaps of debris, simply left unattended. Many portions of this debris have grass growing on it, which means that it has been there for ages now,” alleged Pujari.

Pranin Mankar, who works in the Hansa Industrial Estate on the Saki Vihar Road, complained that he suffered from frequent bouts of cough and cold due to dust from the open debris. “It is difficult to understand how such a high-level project leaves behind dust and debris even after construction of the girders is complete.”

Many motorists in Saki Naka complained of respiratory problems from travel on the AGLR.

Occupants of several industrial estates have now raised the issue with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). “I see minor mishaps, particularly those involving bikers when they take U-turns under the metro girder,” said Pujari.

While MMRDA spokesperson Dilip Kawathkar said it was the responsibility of the Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) to remove the debris, he promised action.

A source in the MMOPL, though, was quick to rise to the firm’s defence. “Our company had in the past carried out a debris disposal programme, for which we took the help of an NGO and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. But, there are many private players who misuse the barricaded area to dump their own debris.”

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_motorists-fume-as-debris-piles-up-below-andheri-metro-girder_1610716

 

Mumbai Metro 2 to wait till civic polls are over - DNA - 14/11/2011

Mumbai Metro 2 to wait till civic polls are over

Published: Monday, Nov 14, 2011, 8:00 IST 
By Ninad Siddhaye | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

 

The city’s longest metro line and the second, the 32-km Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd metro line, may soon be the worst-delayed metro project in the country.

The government has claimed that the first metro line, Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, would be completed by November next year.
With the civic elections around three months away, sources in the state government have confirmed that the chief minister has decided not to start work for the second metro line before the election process is completed.

While it has been over two years since the bhoomipujan for the alignment, the opposition to an elevated metro by the residents living between Bandra and Andheri has been quite vocal. “The chief minister has decided that the government cannot go against the residents before the elections as this can hamper the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party during the civic elections,” said an official from the urban development (UD) department.

“Moreover, there is a public interest litigation against the second metro in the Bombay high court. Hence, most likely the construction will only start after the civic elections,” he added.
Elections are not the only reason for the metro line delay. The ministry of environment and forests has refused to grant permission to construct a car depot on the land identified at Charkop.

“There is a parallel plot being identified. The washing of the rakes will be done on this plot while the rakes will be parked on the original plot,” said TC Benjamin, principal secretary, UD department. He refused to comment on when the work would start.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_mumbai-metro-2-to-wait-till-civic-polls-are-over_1612130 

 

 

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