‘Transformation of Mumbai Metropolitan Region key to converting state into one-trillion-dollar economy’

Can you elaborate on the role the MMRDA is playing in improving Mumbai?

If you want to realise the five-trillion-dollar economy dream for India and also the aim of converting Maharashtra into a one-trillion-dollar economy, the transformation of Mumbai Metropolitan Region is the key. If you want the economy to grow, you need more investments and creation of new jobs. This is possible only if there is proper connectivity and infrastructure in this area. This is what the MMRDA is trying to facilitate.

What is the status of the Metro Line 3 car depot?

The matter is subjudice. All stakeholders are trying to resolve it at the earliest. The timelines for the project are stretched already. Other Metro lines are getting expedited through CatchUp Plans. This line, too, needs one such plan. We are already working on it.

When will Metro line 3 be operational?

I have reviewed the ongoing work and it would take about one-and-a-half or two years irrespective of the depot issue.

Have you taken cognisance of the letter sent by the Central government which asked the state to reconsider its decision of building a Metro car shed at Kanjurmarg?

Of course. The letter has gone to the government and they will take a serious view of it.

Is there scope for Aarey to be back as the depot?

We are only the executing agency and the decision is up to the government. For us, both Aarey and Kanjurmarg look difficult and I am only interested in completing the project quickly wherever it is the least difficult and involves the least cost implication. Right now, work has not progressed much and 1.5 km of tunnel remains in line three. A lot of station work remains, signalling is pending. We hope that before we finish this work, a decision has been taken about the depot.

Is the state-centre conflict impacting execution of projects in Mumbai?

As an executioner of the project, it is my job to navigate through these issues. For me to simply put the blame of the delay on the fighting between two governments would be the easy way out. My job is finding a solution to the issue.

Recently, in a meeting with the Chief Secretary where discussions were held on the share to be given by CIDCO and MMRDA for the MUTP project, you said you have a liquidity crunch and hence cannot pay Rs 500 crore immediately, which could lead to the delay of the MUTP 3 project. Are you facing a liquidity crunch?

On financial issues, MMRDA doesn’t get any funding from state or central government. It generates its own funding but the number of projects we have taken up is worth lakhs of crores. MMRDA has a strong asset base to take care of our future needs but yes, present liquidity is an issue for which we are working on a strategy. Discussion is happening at the government level. We are trying to prioritise projects and take the most important ones first and also finish the ongoing pending ones. I have sent a proposal to the government and they are actively considering it. There was a meeting at deputy CM level and they were quite positive. MMRDAs financials will be strong very soon.

Can you elaborate on your resource-mobilisation strategy because your land bank at BKC from which you derive your funding is shrinking? Will you be able to take up capital intensive projects?

Our land bank is shrinking but we still have a huge amount of land available. And the projects that we are undertaking are sustainable. But for the future, we are also working on asset monetisation of the Metro lines that we are constructing. We are also hopeful of accruing funds through the concept of Transit-Oriented Development, which the government is actively considering. Once they approve it, we will get substantial revenues. Third is the stamp duty. We are expecting to recover some stamp duty dues after the government revised the norms recently. So, we will manage. We can also ask the government for grants but I don’t want to do it.

Can you elaborate on what the Transit Oriented Development will be and how you will raise funds from this?

Whenever the transit systems come into the picture, it has been observed globally that land prices along the corridor increase. This money goes to landowners even though they haven’t done anything as it is the government who is developing the area. So it is quite fair that a small percentage of this monetary appreciation should come back to the government. It is a time-tested formula abroad. The government is looking into it and I am sure slowly it will happen and I think this will generate good revenue for us.

Does the MMRDA regret taking up projects like the Monorail and skywalks, which have failed in providing benefit to Mumbaikars?

It is easy to look back and say that is wrong this is right. As far as Monorail is concerned, generally they are never considered a transit system but are called APM (Automatic people’s mover). Its capacity is very limited and the only advantage it has is that it can go in narrow places. However, with the present experience, we have decided not to do any more Monorails. For the existing monorail system, if I run it, it is an operational loss and if I don’t, it is a capital loss. Now we are considering extending it by a few hundred meters to connect it very close to Elphinstone road station, which we hope will help in increasing its ridership as it will provide connectivity to the Metro-3 line.

For MTHL, 74 per cent work has been completed. What are we doing for public transportation on MTHL as we are planning for the Metro and then, bus corridor? What is the issue?

MTHL is going to be an engine of growth for the economy of MMR. The trans-harbour link is not just a transportation project but a regional national economic growth project and it is going to have an impact. The bridge, however, does not have a Metro line on it. We thought why not go for the Metro at MTHL, which is already in the advanced stages of construction, and the foundations have been laid. We hired a consultant who is studying it right now. The draft report has come. It has suggested some structural changes to sustain the dynamic load requirement of a Metro which is difficult to bear without changes in the present form of the project.

In the recently opened Metro line you have used indigenous rakes. Are you happy with their performance as there were a lot of complaints about these rakes in the initial days of operations?

Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), a government of India company, which manufactured these rakes were making these for the first time. The project needed a lot of synergy as Communication-Based Train Control is based on a software that is developed by Hitachi while the signalling and communication systems were developed by Alstom. Each system has to speak to the other and has to run properly. There were teething issues. There are technical issues with indigenous manufacturing of rakes but we will overcome them.

Reasonably, when do you think residents of the city will be assured a smooth commute without dug-up roads?

First, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Mumbaikars that have been with us for almost a decade now. Please bear with us for another three years and you will see a completely different city. Most of the Metro lines will be completed as will be the coastal road, the MTHL and the Worli-Sewri link. Dug-up roads will be a thing of the past.