Next metro only by 2016

Navi Mumbaikars have to wait some more time to start commuting in a metro. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), implementing authority for the mega project, has stated that the first train will start rolling out of the city only by 2016 and not March 2015, as declared earlier.

“We have completed almost 50 per cent of the work on the first phase of metro line between Belapur and Pendhar. We have awarded the civil contract to six firms which have finished half of the construction work. The process to invite tenders for the remaining work such as signalling, telecommunication, automatic fare and rolling stock (coaches) has already commenced and the due date to receive the contract has been fixed at September 30,” Cidco superintending engineer (metro), VC Kamble said.

He added that once the planning body receives the tenders, it will be sorted out as per the technical parameters and the contract will be awarded accordingly.

“For the remaining work, we will be allotting the contract to only one firm unlike the civil works where six contractors shared the responsibility. The estimated cost of these technical work is Rs1,020 crore and our aim is to complete the process by January 2014,” said Kamble. He added that the firm getting the contract for technical work will need time before procuring the raw material and the entire process might take around two years.

“Considering all these things, it is unlikely that the metro train will roll-out of city before 2016,” he said.

Earlier, the state government had asked the Cidco to see to it that the Navi Mumbai Metro project is implemented under the Central Metro Act. It will help the planning body in meeting the requirements as per the provisions made under the act if any legal issue comes up in the future. “This will also ensure the safety and security of the project besides its proper implementation. Earlier, the metro project was sanctioned under The Indian Tramways Act of 1886. Since the act is very old and that no other metro project comes under its purview anymore, the state government decided to bring the project under the Central Metro Act,” said another Cidco official.

He added that only the legalities of the project will be covered under the act and not the financial and other aspects.

Currently, the first phase of the work to lay 11.10km metro line between Belapur-Kharghar-Taloja- Pendhar is on. The line will have 11 stations and the estimated cost to be incurred by the planning agency in phase I will be Rs1,985 crore. The phase II of the metro work will be taken up between MIDC Taloja-Kalamboli-Khandeshwar which is proposed to be extended up to the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Linking Pendhar-Taloja will form the third stage of the phase I work.