COMMENTS

Suhas, note a cost difference estimate there

Elevated line estimated to be about two-and-a-half-times cheaper to build

2.5 times cheaper. As in 250 Cr / Km types vs 100 Cr / Km. I thought the difference was more like 1.7 times cheaper.

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Yes, we have had this conversation before on Praja itself..its really best going UG..

Also we need to factor the health and stress effects..which really cannot be quantified easily..

So, life of the metro line itself along with all these factors should make UG option cheap and compelling..

only if we could drive that to the decission makers!

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Just so you know, tunnels run a lot deeper than water & cable lines and yards are always at the surface only at certain stations not all of them, even in overhead the yards dont get built in the air. & stations have to be 2 levels so crossovers to platforms dont happen on the street. Cost of delays were mainly due to non technical reasons of litigation & acquisition etc... there is no need to get into those aspects underground.

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While we can play with numbers, one question is that do our planners actually factor the costs of citizen inconvenience using methods like above?

Most of us think no.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Could-Metro-II-finish-the-suburbs/articleshow/10535595.cms
 

Could Metro-II 'finish the suburbs?'Nauzer K Bharucha, TNN | Oct 30, 2011,
02.01AM IST

MUMBAI: Fears persist over the widespread disruption the
Metro-II<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Metro-II> elevated
project could cause to the economic and social life of people residing in
some of the most congested areas of the western suburbs. Citizens have
launched online petitions, blogs and protest marches against the elevated
Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd line, demanding that the authorities review the
plan and build the metro under ground.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has
appointed Reliance
Infrastructure<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/reliance-infrastructure-ltd/stocks/companyid-13922.cms>
( RInfra <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/RInfra>) to execute the
Rs 8,250-crore project, which will have 27 stations along a 32-km route.
However, some MMRDA <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/MMRDA> and
state government sources agreed that the project had the capacity to
"finish" the suburbs.

Residents and activists opposing the elevated line say a huge number of
open spaces, hospitals, shops and residential buildings will be affected
when land is taken for the construction of the stations. Experts said that
on Linking Road in Khar (W) alone, around 70 residential buildings, the
Lawrence High School, St Aloysious High School, Nilgiri Gardens, Madhu
Park, Anand Nursing Home and Chandiramani Maternity Home will be affected.

Furthermore, traffic jams will increase due to the pillars that will be
installed for the corridor. The 32-km route passes through the middle of
arterial roads, like Link Road (Marve Road to Jay Prakash Road in Andheri),
10th Road in JVPD <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/JVPD> Scheme, S
V Road at Vile Parle and Santa
Cruz<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Santa-Cruz>,
and Linking Road at Santa Cruz, Khar and Bandra.

A government source conceded, "An underground metro, despite costing
phenomenally more, would allow us to plan and expand a network for the next
100 years. An elevated metro will result in large-scale dislocation." An
MMRDA official added, "Constructing an elevated metro will be a nightmare.
Financial institutions were ready to fund an underground line. However, the
government decided on an elevated line because it would be two-and-a-half
times cheaper than going underground."

But a state government official said, "The elevated metro is the best
option. It is much cheaper and therefore in the public interest. An
overhead line will also make the metro more accessible."

On the cost, Congress MLA from Vile Parle, Krishna Hegde, said tenders for
the Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai metros were floated at around the same
time. "Yet, there was a huge discrepancy in the rates quoted for Mumbai as
compared to the other two cities," he said. Hegde said metro pillars in the
middle of congested roads will cause traffic chaos. "At many places,
traffic crawls right now because of the skywalks. It would be worse when
the metro comes up," he said.

Recently, the JVPD Residents' Association prepared a report on the merits
of an underground route. "There is a perception that an underground metro
line would be costlier and more time consuming to build," said architect
Nitin Killawala, who prepared the report. "That may be true theoretically,
but in the context of Mumbai, an elevated line would be much more expensive
and time consuming in terms of land acquisition, narrow arterial roads,
ever-increasing vehicular traffic, complexity of utility lines and so on."

Interestingly, while MMRDA and state sources said the project is on track,
there are still numerous clearances to be given. "A Bombay high court order
states that the MMRDA cannot go ahead with the work unless it obtains all
the requisite permissions before commencement," said Killawala. "Under the
present circumstances, it is almost impossible to get these permissions
from over a dozen authorities."

Killawala's report said, "Public interest unanimously demands an
underground metro.... We believe that the underground metro (has been)
rejected for an obvious reason, that it will give lesser profit to the
concessionaire. Surely, this consideration should not be allowed to prevail
over the larger interest of public safety, security and other advantages."

PROS & CONS

UNDERGROUND

* Open spaces, hospitals, shops and residential buildings would be
unaffected, as there would be no land acquisitions and setbacks

* Traffic on arterial roads would not be obstructed by pillars

* Reservations for schools, markets, recreation grounds and playgrounds
won't have to be deleted to make space for rail yards

* Schedule for work can be predetermined without obstacles like traffic,
utilities, land acquisition etc. The tunnels would be at least 10 metres
below existing roads

* Quicker construction without complexities and uncertainties would rein in
cost

* Inter-agency coordination -- civil aviation, PWD, railways, MSEB, BEST,
etc - for permissions would be minimal

* No environmental issues

ELEVATED

* Elevated line estimated to be about two-and-a-half-times cheaper to build

* In many ways, it could also be cheaper and easier to maintain

* Could be technically easier to complete

* Public would be able to access it easily

* Could be easier to provide security along the route and at stations

FIELDS OF OPPORTUNITY

Stations for an underground route could be built below six large public
open spaces, argue suburbanites. According to a plan drawn up by architect
Nitin Killawala for the JVPD Association, these spaces are Lokhandwala
Gardens (Andheri), Kaifi Azmi Park (Juhu), Pushpa Narsee Park (JVPD), Podar
Grounds (Santa Cruz), Patwardhan Garden (Bandra) and MMRDA Grounds (BKC).
"These under-utilised gardens and parks can be converted to thriving public
spaces. The MMRDA Grounds are already an established exhibition site, thus
a station underneath would be important for the public," Killawala said.

 

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