The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) undertaking the underground metro 3 (Colaba--Bandra-SEEPZ) line has executed work of worth more than five thousand crores during the period April 2020 and December 2021, it informed on Friday. With the availability of more than 16,000 workers 97% of tunnelling and 82% of civil work has been completed so far.
Furthermore, in the entire route the eleven stations – Cuffe Parade, Vidhan Bhavan, Churchgate, Hutatma Chowk, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai Central, Siddhi Vinayak, CSMI-T2, Marol, MIDC and SEEPZ – work is 85% complete. While remaining stations--Mahalaxmi, Science Museum, Worli, Dadar, Dharavi, BKC, Vidyanagari, Santacruz, CSMI T-1 and Sahar Road are showcasing more than 75% progress and five stations – Girgaon, Kalbadevi, Grant Road, Shitaladevi, Aacharya Are Chowk – have progressed around 50%.
In fact, during the period from April 2020 to December 2021; in the project 6,721 meters of Tunnelling Segment Rings, 33,514 square meters of Base-Slab, 48,336 square meters of Concourse Slab, 8,942 square meters of Mezzanine / Car Park Slab and 58,503 square meters of Roof Slab work attained.
While on the Systems part,16 escalators have been delivered – out of which 2 have been installed at Siddhi Vinayak station and one at MIDC station. 4 lifts are delivered and one each has been installed at both these said stations. The other two are at the assembling stage. It is also noteworthy that two trains are ready, and another is in the process and more than15% of tracks have been already laid and the work is progressing, according to the MMRC.
Ranjit Singh Deol, MD, MMRCL stated that the year 2022, many major work will happen such as completion of tunnelling, installations of systems, architectural finishes to the stations, filling back and restoration of the original pieces of lands that were claimed for the project, track works, electrification, and air conditioning of stations etc.
"The two pandemic waves indeed affected the project progress. During the first wave as well as in the second wave we worked with a restricted number of workers as the bulk of the labour went back to their hometowns. We faced shortage of skilled workers and technicians for works such as control blasting and other special applications, equipment, and machinery operators etc. Many experts and consultants also were not available at crucial junctures for want of international and domestic travel restrictions. The disturbed supply chain also played its part in the completion of activities requiring diverse resources. Also, the covid impact was not localised to a certain geographic area but on the entire world."
He further added,"We had to move many meetings to online mode. However, for a project of this nature there is a limitation to such measures and physical movements and interactions are unavoidable. After the workforce returned, albeit gradually, we strived hard to achieve targets. We followed and are following all the covid-19 related rules, regulations and instructions laid down by the state government scrupulously at all places such as offices, work sites, tunnels, casting yards etc. along with medical facilities. The year 2022 will bring in new challenges."
The underground Metro Line 3 comprises 33.5 kilometres corridor both Up and Down of which the construction work is going on progressively. However, the controversial carshed place is yet to be fixed. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Mahavikas Aghadi government has shifted carshed site to Kanjurmarg from Aarey, however, no work has been started due to State and Central Government issues.
