MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) was conferred the ‘Tunnelling Project of the Year’ and ‘Safety Initiative of the Year’ awards by the prestigious Tunnelling Association of India.
The Tunnelling Association of India (TAI) is the Indian Chapter of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) and was established in the year 1991 under the aegis of the Central Board of Irrigation and Power under the Govt. of India.
The awards were presented during the ongoing Tunnelling Asia 2023 International Conference on “Climate Resilience and Sustainability in Tunnelling and Underground Space” held in Mumbai. Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Govt. of India, graced the conference’s inaugural session on 23rd November 2023.
This is the 9th Edition of the ITA Tunnelling Awards 2023. Tunnelling Asia’ 2023 is the biennial international conference organised by the Tunnelling Association of India under the aegis of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association. Since 2015, the ITA Tunnelling and Underground Space Awards has recognised the most ground-breaking innovations and outstanding projects in tunnelling and underground construction.
“It is an honour to receive the award in the Tunnelling Project of The Year category. The project has been an engineering marvel due to its complexities of being executed in Mumbai’s most difficult topographical, geological, and logistical conditions. The project has had several challenges, like its passing through congested areas, traffic management, rehabilitation of PAPs, and tunnelling close to the coastline and even below the water body. These challenges have been successfully surmounted with the help of the use of advanced technology and engineering acumen. The support of the Government of Maharashtra and its agencies have facilitated the project to the present stage”, said Ms Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC.
“Executing this project while ensuring the safety and structural integrity of buildings, their occupants, the safety of city dwellers and the construction workers has been paramount for us right from the beginning. 250 million manhours with a loss time injury frequency rate of 0.34 could be achieved over more than seven years by implementing detailed procedures and protocols, mandatory safety training for each worker deployed on the project and elaborate instrumentation and monitoring mechanisms. The achieved injury frequency rate is well below the international standard of 0.5 for a mega project.” said Mr Subodh Gupta, Director (Projects), MMRC.
The Awards were received by Ms Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC, Mr Subodh Gupta, Director (Projects), and other senior officials of MMRC.
Intrigued by the future of Metro and its impact on our city? Join us at our upcoming InnoMetro event to delve deeper into this vital issue. Stay informed, get involved, and let’s ride the Metro towards a brighter, more sustainable future together.
