Mumbai : In tandem with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mumbai visit to lay the foundation stone for the two new metro corridors, the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Department of Economic Affairs gave their in-principle approval for the funding of the Metro corridors by the Asian Development Bank.
Officials of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority said that the approvals were in within three days, thanks to Modi’s impending visit.
The two metro corridors — Dahisar-DN Nagar and Dahisar East-Andheri East — will be funded by the MMRDA and ADB. “We got both MoUD’s and DEA’s in-principle approval within three days, thanks to the PM’s visit. The initial funding for civil work will be done by MMRDA while the loan will be given by Asian Development Bank,” said UPS Madan, Metropolitan Commission, MMRDA.
According to officials, 52% funds will be given by the MMRDA and the rest will be from ADB.
The loan agreement is likely to be signed in the next financial year. Meanwhile, the MMRDA will initiate civil construction with the funds it is pumping in. Officials added that the funding pattern and the timeline is so designed that the project is not thrown off track and delayed by the bureaucratic processes.
The MMRDA will be floating the tenders for the two corridors in a month. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is likely to take up Dahisar East-Andheri East corridor up for construction while MMRDA will appoint a contractor for the other route.
“The tender documents will be finalised by DMRC by the month-end. DMRC will construct one of the corridors as depository work,” Madan added. The MMRDA will prepare the tender documents and place it before the Empowered Committee for its go-ahead to float the bids.
The MMRDA has also initiated talks to take possession of the plots for the car depots of the two corridors. The 16.5 km corridor’s depot will be along the Airport Authority of India’s plot — admeasuring 16 hectares — along the Dahisar toll naka.
The depot for the 18.6-km corridor will be at a 20-hectare plot at Charkop. “We are in touch with them to find them an alternative land within the region. We’re discussing what kind of land is suitable,” Madan said.
