Nagpur Metro Rail work on track: MD

NMRCL has already started construction of a viaduct over Nagpur Wardha railway line

The Nagpur Metro Rail work is on track and has gained momentum in Mihan on the south-north corridor, a senior official has said.

The Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) has started manufacturing the prefabricated parts of the boundary wall of the ground-level stretch which will soon be installed along the proposed metro rail track, NMRCL's Managing Director Brajesh Dixit told a group of reporters who visited the site yesterday.

He said that the NMRCL has also started construction of the viaduct over the Nagpur-Wardha Railway line near Khapri railway station on Nagpur-Wardha rail route.

The contractor, who has been awarded the work from airport to Munje square section in Sitabuldi, has started geo-technical survey on Wardha Road.

Dixit admitted that there has been a delay in the preparation of tender for appointment of general consultant for the project, but said it would be done by February 2016.

"It should be finalised within two months. A consortium consisting of four companies have bid for it. One is led by French company Cistra, the second by German government company Deutschebahn and the third by a Spanish firm. The fourth consortium is led by another French firm Egis," he said.

He also said that the construction activities will be visible to citizens by the end of this month.

"We have given a deadline of 27 months for completing the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport-Sitabuldi stretch," the official said.

"There is a bonus and penalty clause in the agreement. If the contractor completes the work well before the deadline, he will get a bonus. If there is a delay then there will a penalty proportional to the extra time required for finishing the construction," he said.

The L&T Infra has been given the contract to design the first nine stations from Mihan depot to Sitabuldi. The stations will have a sleek and most modern look.

"We want our stations to be similar to the ones of Dubai Metro," Dixit said.

About 76.40 per cent of land required for the project has been acquired.

"The total land requirement is 87.40 hectares costing around Rs 500 crore," he said to a question.