Work on the 18-km Metro rail in Navi Mumbai was likely to start soon, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Managing Director E Sreedharan said.
The Metro, which will run perpendicular to the existing railway line, is estimated to cost Rs 2,500 crore.
“The executive sumary of the project report has been submitted by DMRC to the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (Cidco), which funded the study. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be submitted by January 15,” he said.
“We have suggested to Cidco (which is in charge of the development in the region) to hand over the project to DMRC on a turn-key basis,” he said.
“They are willing to consider, but have not confirmed yet,” he said. “Cidco is keen to start the work and we are awaiting the green signal from it,” he said, adding: “If that is done, the work will begin in April or May and be completed within three-and-a-half years,” Sreedharan said.
Asked about his views on Mumbai Metro, he said: “MMRDA is undertaking the entire project. We only prepared the project report for them and now we are not helping them. We were cosultants to MMRDA, but now we have withdrawn our consultancy as they were not receptive to good advice we were giving them,” he added.
The work on Navi Mumbai Metro assumes importance, given that a new international airport and a special economic zone are scheduled to come up there over the next few years. The metro railway would be one of the important modes to connect Navi Mumbai with the city.
