Mumbai, the Financial Capital of India, which contributes to the highest GDP in comparison of any other city in India, also known as the land of opportunities, is very close to become one of the worst cities in the world plagued by serious problems when it comes to administration, governance and to name one, would be Infrastructure Collapse in terms of Mass Rapid Transport System.

In the year 2003, MMRDA appointed DMRC(Delhi Metro Rail Corporation), Consulting Major TCS and IIT Mumbai to prepare a Master Plan for Mumbai Metropolitan Region(MMR) realizing the fact, that the city  would get paralyzed completely in a few years as 11 million people travel in Mumbai and the numbers are set to increase. In 2004 a Master Plan was approved for approximately 146.5 Kms of Mumbai Metro to be completed till 2021 in Three phases in 9 corridors. The cost was estimated to be INR 19525 crores for the entire project. The Master Plan for Mumbai Metro alongwith priority/phase of implementation was approved by the Authority of MMRDA, in its 110th meeting, held on 28th May, 2004. Source: https://mmrda.maharashtra.gov.in/mumbai-metro-rail-project

While the concerned Authorities claimed to have understood the intensity of this issue, they immediately sanctioned many ambitious projects few of which are listed below:

Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL)

Passenger Water Transport Project West Coast and East Coast,

Versova Bandra Sea Link (VBSL)

Multimodal Corridor from Virar to Alibaug,

Worli-HajiAli Link etc.

While MMRDA has been very proactive in sanctioning and launching of new projects for developing Mumbai every other day, it has failed miserably to ensure the implementation of the projects.

When it comes to planning and sanctioning, things have moved fast and brought in front of the general public, while the actual action of these ambitious projects gets a step brotherly treatment and eventually takes a back seat for years to come. The process seems to be like entering a LABYRINTH; one doesn’t know when, where, how it would start and when, where, how it would end. To add to the woes, it is like finding a needle in haystack, if we need to find a particular authority responsible for the delays, inflation of cost from the original quote etc. Any Mumbaikar, would be compelled to wonder if the promises made to them by the Government & Authority is just another carrot in hand to lure the Mumbaikar in voting them in the elections?

One obvious example is that of Mumbai Metro Phase 1-Line1. Launched with great fanfare, flopped with the first shower the Metro encountered. During the past 10 years only 11km out of 62 km planned metro has been delivered. This completed project was supposed to become operational by the year 2014 but now no one is in a position to provide the completion date.

In 10 years since 2004, MMRDA has built Metro Line at the rate of 1.1km per year in Mumbai. Does this compare to Global Standards!

While this inflated cost would be shelled by the common man or the Mumbaikar through their taxes, wouldn’t this call for realignment of bureaucratic  procedures, assigning responsibilities and levy fines on the authority implementing this project?

Let us take a look at the Master Plan of Mumbai Metro Project, an ambitious 15 years project that began in the year 2006 and was supposed to be completed in the year 2021 in 3 phases, namely: 

Phase I : 2006-2011

Phase II : 2011-2016

Phase III : 2016-2021 

Where is Mumbai Metro heading to?

The first phase that too only Line 1, between Versova to Ghatkopar was inaugurated in June 2014, two years behind schedule. In Phase I – Line 1 – only 11 Kms was operational (Out of planned 62 Kms) and that too after a delay of 2 years and cost escalated 84%. The cost of project at 2012 was priced at INR 2356 Crores which escalated to INR 4321 Crores in 2014.

The plan of Phase I, Line 2, which was originally Colaba-Bandra-Charkop was revised first time to Mankhurd-Bandra-Charkop and again revised to Mankhurd-Bandra-Charkop-Dahisar Line. This restructuring of the project escalated the cost from initial INR 7660 Crore in the year 2012 to INR 28900 Crores as of year 2014, inspite of the massive escalation of 4 times the project hasn’t moved an inch from the drawing board. This is mainly because of multi-disciplinary multi-departmental clearances and approvals not conceived and sought before start of construction.The most alarming fact here is that only 11kms has been delivered in past 10 years and rest is on paper.  

Looking at the present scenario, the Mumbaikar feels being caught in between the Development and Bureaucratic procedures, dream and reality for the crave of standard of living and compromise in reality.

A common Mumbaikar suffers from not just psychological illnesses but also physiological illness due to the huge traffic jams and delay in the movement of traffic. Off late there has been increase in the occurrence of these diseases. There is also an increase in the fall in productivity in the employees and increasing divorce rates. All these point to the below questions:

1) What are the main causes for the delay in the implementation of the Metro project?

2) What were the main reasons that prompted six out of the seven bidders to opt out at the financial bid stage after technical bid submission?

3) What is the credibility of the techno-economic feasibility studies that are conducted initially? Why they have been changed again and again?

4) What factors have led to the escalation of costs when feasibility studies are already done?

5) Why are the relevant permissions, environmental issues and other facts not considered at the planning stage which is leading to the delay in the implementation of the project ?

6) What is the credibility on the deadline that is being fixed now?

7) Why is no action been taken for the resolution of the issues related to such critical projects of national importance to ensure their deadlines of delivery?

8) What measures have been taken to ensure the project will be completed as per the deadline?

 To question and fix the responsibility about the Mumbai metro, a new revolution has begun to take shape under the leadership of Vinit Goenka and he has highlighted this issue through his blogs on www.vinitgoenka.blogspot.in

#MumbaiMetroMess – A Digital Revolution for Mumbaikar to Live and not just exist !

A citizens movement has brought the Mumbai Metro Mess issue to the forefront through campaign called as #MumbaiMetroMess. The team is trying to fix responsibility and ask accountability from the authorities for the mess created.

In this regard #MumbaiMetroMess team has sent letter to MMRDA Commisioner, Union Urban Development Minister, Union Transport Minister, All Elected Members of Parliament of Mumbai Region, Leader of Opposition of Assemblies in Mumbai and the Chief Ministers Office, Maharashtra.

The #MumbaiMetroMess Team members are also doing online campaign and creating door to door awareness amongst society to demand for faster implementation of mass rapid transport system (Mumbai Metro). The campaign is gaining momentum and is spreading like wild fire. The spark that was lit in the social media has already reached about three and half lakh people and the number of tweets per day is growing exponentially seeking the answers for the above questions. About 20,000 tweets are being tweeted everyday and is continuing to grow by the time you are even reading this press report.

 Now the revised Master Plan for Mumbai Metro states 9 corridors of approximately 160.9 kms to be done till 2021 at the cost of INR 67618 crores. All earlier experiences show that ultimately it is the Mumbaikar who has got a raw deal in the whole process. Mumbaikar can only hope that promises are delivered in time and the authority & responsibility both are fixed for dereliction of duty. If Mumbai wants to compete with other megacities of the world, then Mass Rapid transport system is the only solution. The Government has to ensure speedy implementation and strong willpower to deliver on this.

Please join into this campaign of cleaning the Mumbai Metro Mess by participating in twitter or any social media with the tag: #Mumbaimetromess

#MumbaiMetroMess Video 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X468vqwmNT4 

#MumbaiMetroMess Video 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOt78Ib-N0

 #MumbaiMetroMess Video 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LKbuudDilc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH42pXnV46k MiMarathi Video #MumbaiMetroMess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3UXoJIglNU #MumbaiMetroMess

http://www.telegraphindia.com/pressrelease/prnw/enin201408261725_indiapublic.html#.V1AWQZF97IU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDEd9zIFB3k JaiMaharashtra News #MumbaiMetroMess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnlxJd6mvcg StarMajha

http://vinitgoenka.blogspot.in/2014/08/mumbai-metro-mess-what-has-mumbaikar.html #MumbaiMetroMess

Date: 14th August 2014(Original)

Date: 2nd June 2016 (New Date)

Location: Mumbai

#MumbaiMetroMess Team

 

mumbaimetromess@gmail.com

join@mumbaimetromess.in

 

 Mumbai is suffering due to the delay in implementation of #MumbaiMetroMess. Every time we hear about a new project we are subjected to endless wait and heavy cost escalations at the cost of taxpayers money.

Its is a complete failure that Mumbai metro projects have not progressed at all inspite of all the assurances and promises before every elections.

Requesting Hon. Chief Minister to book the persons / officers responsible for this delay and give us timebound Metro Line.