Is Mumbai becoming an infra graveyard?
As protests against the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro 3 intensifies over its 30-hectare depot at Aarey's forest land and also on its Girgaum stretch, questions are being raised as to whether Mumbai is becoming the toughest city to take mega infrastructure projects from the drawing board to reality.
A majority of officials from the railways and the private sector agreed that the collapse of the elevated Churchgate-Virar corridor, the wrangling between the MMRDA and the RInfra-led Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL) over the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar line and the Metro 3 protests are not very assuring signs.
Metro man and India's most-respected infrastructure voice E Sreedharan blames the government and the bureaucracy.
"I do not blame the people of Mumbai as they are among the most large-hearted and cosmopolitan. The problem is with the government's ineptitude. It has to talk to people, explain how the project is going to be beneficial and then finish the job in the quickest possible time using the best of technologies, so that public inconvenience is minimal," said Sreedharan.
Coming down heavily on the government, Sreedharan gave examples of the Metro 1 (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar) and 2 (Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd).
"The first, to make an 11-km line, took almost seven years. The second line chose the Public Private Participation (PPP) model, which is a flawed one and got scrapped. Taking people into confidence, like how we did with Delhi Metro, is the best way ahead," the metro man said.
PC Sehgal, managing director of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation between 2006 to 2011 and author of books on the execution of big-ticket projects, pointed out that Mumbai's case is special.
"Unlike Delhi, the city does not have much land or wide roads. So hardships during the construction of any project is bound to happen. People must be prepared to sacrifice in the short-term since these projects will serve the city for decades. If this minimum level of sacrifice is not forthcoming, it could get tough for Mumbai. Remember, no firm or agency would want to invest or build a project if the risks of delay are as high as it is in Mumbai," said Sehgal.
The ground reality is stark, with some projects not taking off despite it undergoing massive design changes. The Rs 19,500-crore Churchgate-Virar elevated corridor is an example.
The requirement of acquiring private buildings -- a nightmare in Mumbai -- was scaled down from 52,800 sq m to 1,170 sq m, a massive reduction of 98%, and private land from 10.69 hectares to 2.23 hectares – a reduction of 79%, to make the project easy.
The reduction in land requirement was due to railways deciding to make the alignment underground from Bandra to Oshiwara and making the depot at Mira Road over 40.8 hectares, instead of 65 in Virar.
"It still collapsed as the state and the railways couldn't sign the State Support Agreement since May 2012," said a top-ranking railway official.
Another black spot in the city's infra landscape, pointed out officials, is the current no-holds-barred fight between MMOPL and MMRDA over fares.
The 11-km VAG corridor saw its cost escalating from Rs 2,356 crore to Rs 4,300 crore between 2008, when work started, and 2014, when it got commissioned. This is the prime reason why MMOPL wants a fare hike.
"The bad blood and the court fight between the two agencies do not give too much hope to private firms who want to partner the government for big-ticket projects. In such cases, whoever wins, the loser is always the city," opined an official.
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