MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): The Maharashtra government has spent Rs. 12,940 crores on the on-going construction work of six metro corridors in the city from 2016 to the end of March 2019.
According to the state’s economic survey report 2018-19, the total expenditure amounts of 19% of Rs. 68,005 crores, the total cost of constructing the six metro lines.
While the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) is building one, The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is currently working on constructing five Metro corridors in the city.
The largest chunk of the total expenditure was Rs. 9,402 crore- has already been spent on the fully – underground Metro-3 (Colaba-Seepz) corridor by the MMRC. The corporation recently has completed 50% of tunnelling works for the project. Which costs Rs. 23,136 crores.
The next big chunk was spent on lines 2A (Dahisar- DN Nagar) and 7 (Dahisar East-Andheri East), both of which are expected to be up and running by December 2020.
The MMRDA has spent ₹1,561 crore on Metro-7, wherein 67% of the civil works have been completed, and ₹1,351 crore on Metro-2A, wherein 63% of the civil works have been finished, according to the economic survey report.
RA Rajeev, the metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said that the next big expenditure will be on the systems. “We have a system order of more than ₹3,000 crore, which includes rolling stock, signalling, telecommunications, etc. This expenditure is due in the next year,”
The Mumbai Metropolitan Rail Development Authority has also spent ₹201.30 crore on Metro-6 (Swami Samarth Nagar-Vikhroli); ₹227.98 crore on Metro-4 (Wadala-Kasarvadavali); and ₹196.31 crore on Metro-2B (DN Nagar-Mandale).
However, citizens, have been protesting against all the three routes.
Powai residents have demanded rerouting Metro line 6, citizens have been demanding underground routes for lines 2B and 4.
A transport expert from Mumbai Vikas Samiti, AV Shenoy, said the MMRDA should have conducted public consultations before starting work on these projects. He also added, “This is a serious lacuna with the authority…there were no public consultations or citizen committees set up to weigh the projects before they spend such a huge amount on it.”
