Challenges aplenty for Namma Metro'

Challenges aplenty for Namma Metro'
Challenges aplenty for
S Praveen Dhaneshkar
For the much harried commuter on Bangalores chocked roads, the prospect of a Metro Rail zipping over the chaotic traffic had sounded like Mannah from Heaven.

Once the “Namma Metro” project took off after many years in the drawing room, Bangaloreans heaved a collective sigh of relief. Their worries, they surmised, were finally over, and commuting in Bangalore would be soon a breeze.

Yet, more than 18 months after the project launch, the “Namma Metro” progress has been reduced to a crawl. And it shows on Bangalore’s showpiece street: MG Road, where nothing much is there to see despite the men and cranes working round-the-clock.

Now, as if all these delays weren’t bad enough, the State Government has removed the incumbent V Madhu as the chief of the Bangalore Metrol Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Chairman and Managing Director, E Sreedharan has already shown his displeasure, dubbing the controversial transfer “very unfortunate.”

With its completion deadline of 2011 barely three years away, the project is at a critical stage. The new BMRCL Chief, N Sivasailam who took charge last week, definitely has a big job in hand. The challenges will only mount in the coming months, considering the galloping vehicular population of Bangalore and the worrisome traffic situation. On its part, BMRCL is clear that the project will be completed by 2010-11. Here is the Corporation’s rationale to sound so confident: The construction of piers on MG Road (as part of Reach One of the project) is currently on, the Byappanahalli depot construction has begun and the selection process for the contractors of the Halasoor and Old Madras Road metro stations are on. However, the consortium for rolling stock supplies is yet to be announced.

The pace of the work, they reiterated, would be quickened. “Work on MG Road has been speeded up with the concrete filling of piers on-going for the pillars. The pre fabricated elevated super structures/platforms will then be put on top of the piers (pillars). This process will be completed by the end of December 2008,” explained the officials.

Tenders for different stages of the project are in the process of being announced this month.

Meanwhile, glitches that added to the project delays are bound to keep the new chief busy. Issues related to the alignment of ‘Namma Metro’ passing through CMH Road, acquisition of land for construction of the stations at Plaza Theatre and Trinity Junction haven’t been fully solved yet, and are before the courts, pending a final verdict.
For the record, BMRCL has announced the allocation of shops to traders/business establishments who had given up their land for the Rs 6,395 crore project. The change at the top, asserted BMRCL officials, will have no effect on the progress of the project. According to them, the decision to effect a change was “political” though the union government has a 25 percent stake in the project.