Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority issues notice to contractor over accidents

MUMBAI: Taking a tough stance, the MMRDA has asked Simplex Infrastructure why it should not be blacklisted for the accidents that have occurred at its sites.
MMRDA commissioner Rahul Asthana confirmed that a letter to this effect was issued to the Simplex management recently. He said they would decide on initiating further action after getting a reply.
When contacted, a spokesperson for Simplex said the company adhered to the highest global safety and quality norms.
MMRDA officials pointed out that there had been three accidents at its sites involving Simplex, one of which occurred on the Lalbaug flyover while two took place at Metro locations. Besides, a pothole appeared on the Lalbaug flyover soon after its inauguration in 2011, triggering sharp reactions from citizens.
The MMRDA is involved in a host of major infrastructure projects, including flyovers, the monorail and the Metro, in the city. In the past, it was criticized by citizens for “allowing contractors to get away without any major punishment”.
Things took a serious turn after accidents at a Monorail site in Chembur claimed the lives of two workers last year.
MMRDA officials have all along maintained that their contractors have a proper system of safety regulations in place, which is updated from time to time.