This story is from May 12, 2021

Mumbai: ‘Covid meant Metro hurdles had to be met on global video calls’

The Covid-19 pandemic brought along multiple challenges for the Metro project in the city as countries shut borders, making access to machinery, equipment and human expertise a herculean task. As the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) gears up for trial runs for Metro Lines 2A & 7, TOI speaks to MMRDA commissioner RA Rajeev on the difficulties caused by the pandemic.
Mumbai: ‘Covid meant Metro hurdles had to be met on global video calls’
Dahisar to Andheri (E) connecting with Metro 1 on Western Express Highway
MUMBAI: The Covid-19 pandemic brought along multiple challenges for the Metro project in the city as countries shut borders, making access to machinery, equipment and human expertise a herculean task. As the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) gears up for trial runs for Metro Lines 2A & 7, TOI speaks to MMRDA commissioner RA Rajeev on the difficulties caused by the pandemic.
1

Q: What was the Metro project status when you took over in May 2018?
A: The bhoomipujan for the Metro lines had been conducted in 2016 with a 3.5-year timeline set by the government.
When I joined, the construction of viaducts had begun for both lines and in March that year MMRDA had issued a request for proposal for rolling stock. The Centre was firm that Indian companies must be given an opportunity to compete for the contract.
This meant tweaking tender conditions which the project financiers, Asian Development Bank, were reluctant to revisit. It required several rounds of discussions with ADB, the Union ministry of urban affairs and the PMO. By August 2019 the tender conditions had been reworked and by November 2019 the tender was awarded. BEML, an Indian company, bagged the contract for trains and Alstom for signalling and telecommunication.
Q: Has Make in India helped Metro projects?

A: BEML is making Metro rakes for the first time. It is important to remember that the crucial components for rakes are not manufactured in India. In this case the propulsion system and air suspension are from Japan, cables and emergency doors from South Korea, traction control and management system from Hitachi Italy, and auto-couplers, brake and helical system from Germany. In case of signalling and telecommunications, the equipment is from France, Czechia, Denmark, Singapore, South Korea, Italy, Finland, Spain and China… By the time the equipment were ready to be shipped to India, Covid had begun disrupting flights as countries closed borders. Personnel and equipment could not be transferred to India. Manufacturing and assembly were hit for nearly a year.
Q: Could you cite some of the pandemic-linked difficulties?
A: The propulsion system, which is an important component in a train, is from Japan. After Covid struck, Japan is yet to grant permission to its engineers tovisit India.
All synchronisation of the propulsion system has been done by video conference in three timezones — India, Japan and Europe.
This gave the engineers only a 2-3-hour daily window to resolve complex issues.
Also, Mumbai has its own challenges — any infrastructure work on heavy traffic and congested roads would take 5-5.5 years to complete. Metro work is complex and involves work with 17-18 sub-agencies and multiple approvals from the railways and others. It also involves land acquisition for depots and stations, the shifting of high tension lines, diversion of utility lines…
Q: What was your biggest challenge?
A: One of the biggest challenges was launching steel girders between Dahisar and Mira Road railway stations with a nullah and river on one side and a minor nullah on another. We laid metal plates across tracks for cranes to cross over, shut the minor nullah, laid pipes inside the nullah for water to drain and launched steel girders during the monsoon, saving a couple of months. The pandemic caused major disruptions but we are ready in 5.5 years without any cost overruns.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA