MMRDA approves two metro corridors, expects completion by 2020-21

R-Infra had executed termination agreement last week for Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd metro corridor now extended up to Dahisar

In another push to the infrastructure in Mumbai and around, the state-run Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has cleared two major metro rail corridor projects.

These are the 40-km Dahisar-Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd line (Rs 25,605 crore) and a 32-km Wadala-Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarvadavali corridor (Rs 19,097 cr).  The first of these two corridors, of 36 stations, will be entirely underground. The Wadala-Kasarvadavali one will have 24 underground and six elevated stations. These are to be implemented by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, a state government undertaking, by 2020-21.

Half the cost will come via loans taken from international finance agencies. The central government will provide 20 per cent. The state government and MMRDA will get the other 30 per cent, via both equity and debt. The decision was taken at MMRDA’s board meeting on Thursday, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

A week earlier,Mumbai Metro Transport Private Limited (MMTPL, an arm of Reliance Infrastructure) and the Maharashtra government agreed to terminate their  concession agreement for the Mumbai Metro Line 2 Project (Charkop–Bandra–Mankhurd). The Rs 12,000-crore project could not take off due to environmental and procedural issues. It has now been extended to Dahisar and its cost revised to Rs 25,605 crore.  The terminated project had been awarded by the state government, after inviting global bids, in August 2009 to a consortium led by Reliance Infra. The concession agreement was signed in January 2010, between the state government and MMTPL.

An MMRDA official told Business Standard the World Bank had shown interest in financing the two new metro corridor projects. Due to the underground portions, land acquisition would be much less, he said, only three hectares of permanent takeover.

In June, the Mumbai metro-I project, 11.4-km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar east-west corridor, with 12 elevated stations, became operational. The foundation stone was unveiled in August for a 33-km Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ line. The Rs 23,500-crore Metro-III project, to connect Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai with Andheri in the north via Worli and the airport, is likely to start this year and be commissioned in seven years.