Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority upset with Metro delay

MUMBAI: Upset with the tardy progress of work on the first line of Metro, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) held a review meeting with officials of Mumbai Metro 1, which is constructing the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar line to identify the “problem” areas.
After the meeting, the state agency has reportedly found ways to overcome the hurdles that are slowing down work.The construction of the Metro depot at D N Nagar is progressing well and it should be ready in five months, said MMRDA additional commissioner S Srinivas, who called the meeting. According to him, in pockets along the route, encroachments and residents’ refusal to move out were not allowing the authorities to have a “clear right of way”. But, Srinivas said, with most of the residents and those having commercial establishments along the route being rehabilitated, the way has been cleared and so, the work would now progress fast.
The project, which is nearing completion, is scheduled to be opened to the public early next year. Initially, the work was slowed down after shopkeepers near the Andheri station refused to vacate the place unless being offered a “proper” rehabilitation scheme. Even the railways refused to give permission to the authorities build a bridge over the tracks in Andheri West unless the bridge design was altered. Only after over a year of negotiations, the MMOPL got the sanction to build the bridge. Srinivas added, “The work on the bridge is in the second stage.”