Mumbai Metro: Comprehensive Safety Checks Ordered Across All Construction Sites
Mumbai: In the wake of the fatal Mulund Metro accident, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has launched a comprehensive safety drive, ordering inspections of all under-construction Metro corridors across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Officials stated that this move follows the tragedy on February 14, where a 2.5-tonne parapet segment from an elevated viaduct fell on an autorickshaw and a car in Mulund, resulting in one death and three injuries.
Sources confirmed that the inspections are not limited to Metro Line 4 but extend to all ongoing elevated Metro corridors in the MMR, including lines currently in advanced stages of viaduct construction. Teams comprising structural experts and senior engineers have been deployed to verify the quality of installation, reinforcement placement, alignment stability, and the curing of precast elements.
As part of the review, MMRDA has already inspected nearly 20 km of the 36-km Wadala–Kasarvadavali–Gaimukh Metro Line 4 corridor. A senior official remarked, “Nothing untoward was found on the stretch whose inspection has been completed.” The remaining stretch, along with other ongoing Metro lines, will undergo detailed structural audits covering parapets, segment launching systems, bearings, and temporary supports used during construction.
The lines currently under construction include Phase 2 of Metro 9 (Kashigaon to Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium), Metro Line 2B (D N Nagar to Diamond Garden), Line 7A (Gundavali to Domestic Terminal), Line 6 (Lokhandwala to Vikhroli), Line 5 (Thane–Bhiwandi–Kalyan), and Line 12 (Kalyan–Amandoot). The official noted that lines already in operation, such as Line 2A and 7 (Gundavali–Dahisar–Andheri West), are not part of this exercise as their assets and systems are regularly monitored by the operational and maintenance team every three months.
Officials also revealed that over 150 showcause notices had been issued to the project's general consultant, DB Hill-LBG group, over safety, compliance, and other lapses observed during periodic monitoring since 2023. MMRDA has paid a total of Rs 380 crore to the general consultant. Following the Mulund incident, the contractor linked to the consultant has been terminated, and departmental action has been initiated against concerned officials and engineers.
The Mulund police, probing the fatal concrete parapet collapse case, are looking for welder Ram Ashish and civil consultant Suresh Sai. Police believe that Ashish allegedly cut the two interlocks between parapets and left it loose, causing it to fall. This comprehensive safety drive is expected to enhance the overall safety standards and public confidence in the ongoing Metro projects in the region.
