Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has quashed the rumours of putting country’s only Monorail ‘up for sale’ that is running on Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle corridor. This comes at a time when MMRDA recently added the sixth rake to their fleet and are under the process to add another one in the coming days.
The Monorail has become a white elephant for this planning authority, however, they are trying to do their best to keep it running. “There is no proposal to privatise the Monorail,” said SVR Srinivas, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA. to the Free Press Journal quashing media reports about the same.
In fact, sources in MMRDA said that they have readied the sixth Monorail rake from scratch which has been added to their fleet. “We are working on another rake as well,” said an MMRDA official. The MMRDA authorities have been struggling to get the number of functional coaches running on the system. In the past, they had called for tenders seeking manufacturers to come forth and supply 10 new Monorail rakes. But then they are doing everything possible for its revival.
The authorities are working towards it from the starting point; as simple as getting t-shirts for Monorail staff with the Mumbai Monorail logo on them. Sources said that they have called tenders for procuring 500 such t-shirts of different sizes for their staffs. Likewise on July 16, the MMRDA called tenders for the second time for supplying and installing batteries for substation and UPS for Monorail that costs Rs 84.48 lakh.
The Monorail depot in Wadala is struggling with getting water supply. “We are asking to obtain permanent water connection from the hydraulic department and water meter for which we have sought for BMC licensed plumber,” said sources in MMRDA. They have called tenders for providing, supplying, laying and fixing material for reinstating BMC water supply line to Wadala depot and station. Sources said that they are looking at installing 80mm ductile iron pipes, 20mm GI pipes and sluice valves of 100mm diameter.
