Several under-construction and upcoming Metro projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) are set to get a massive boost. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has allocated a major chunk of around 40 per cent of the total financial budget of 2018-19 for civil works of Metro projects in the city and its nearby area.
The MMRDA announced its budget of Rs 12,157 crore on Thursday, of which Rs 4,700 crore was allocated for seven Metro projects. In its budget for 2017-18, the MMRDA had allocated Rs 3,273 crore for Metro projects, followed by Rs 2,151 crore for Metro projects in 2016-17.
While the MMRDA has proposed 10 Metro corridors for MMR that will cost around Rs 84,528 crore approximately. Of these, the MMRDA is funding the civil construction cost for all the projects it will execute; but, for the rest of the components like coaches and tracks, loans will be taken from several domestic and international financial institutions.
The high allocation for Metro projects this year is due to several projects being under construction already and several others whose construction is set to start soon.
An MMRDA official said, "In the previous budget, the amount allocated to Metro projects was far lesser, as many projects were still at planning or tendering stage. At present, however, we have two projects for which almost 50 per cent civil construction has been completed, and another two more whose construction work will start this year."
Currently, civil construction on Dahisar-DN Nagar Metro-2A is ongoing, of which around 40 per cent civil construction is complete. Work on Dahisar East- Andheri East Metro-7 corridor is also on, of which around 50 per cent civil construction is complete.
Further, construction work on two more Metro corridors, namely DN Nagar-Mandale Metro-2B and Wadala-Thane Metro-4 corridors, is expected to start by June 2018.
