Indian Express 03.06.2010
...blow to Metro-II as soil testing stopped
Swapnil Rawal Tags : metro-II, mumbai Posted: Thu Jun 03 2010, 23:16 hrs
Mumbai: Plans for the second Metro corridor (Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd) were dealt a blow as the BMC asked concessionaire Reliance Infrastructure Ltd to stop soil testing because of the upcoming monsoon.“BMC engineers asked us three days ago to stop the work. We will take it up strongly with the BMC and MMRDA,” said K P Maheshwari, senior executive vice-president of RInfra.
“Soil testing has been done on around 50 per cent of the stretch from Mankhurd to Vile Parle and was going on for the remaining stretch,” Maheshwari said.
Asked about the order, BMC chief Swadheen Kshatriya said, “I’m not fully aware of the issue but will look into it.”
From the MMRDA, the nodal agency for the project, metropolitan commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said, “It doesn’t come as a surprise to us. The BMC has already made exceptions for the ongoing Metro and monorail construction. The actual work on corridor two will start after October, after the financial closure.”
RInfra is confident of getting permission to complete the soil testing. “We will take up the issue and are confident the BMC will allow us to restart soil testing in a couple of days,” said Maheshwari.
Construction of the corridor is expected to kick off by November, with 2013-end as the target for completion. RInfra will get Rs 1,532 crore from the Centre and Rs 766 crore from the state as viability gap funding for the Rs-8,250 crore elevated Metro corridor, with 27 stations.
The consortium signed the concession agreement with the state in February for a period of 35 years, with a clause for an extension of another 10 years.
