Even though the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) may claim that the ongoing construction of the Rs 2,716 crore Monorail project on the Jacob Circle- Wadala-Chembur route is going at a smooth pace, the fact is that the authority had to make changes in the alignment of the route four times, escalating the project cost by 10-15 per cent.
Even though the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) may claim that the ongoing construction of the Rs 2,716 crore Monorail project on the Jacob Circle- Wadala-Chembur route is going at a smooth pace, the fact is that the authority had to make changes in the alignment of the route four times, escalating the project cost by 10-15 per cent. That will add an extra Rs 407 crore to its price tag. 
Delayed: The MMRDA begins the trenching work outside the Arthur
Road jail. Site engineers say four major unplanned alterations in the
Jacob Circle-Wadala-Chembur monorail's route, and delay in eco
clearance and other sanctions, will escalate project cost by 15 per cent.
Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Speaking to MiD DAY, an engineer working on the project said on condition of anonymity, "We had to make changes in the actual route four times because of some or the other problem. That is likely to push up the project cost by 10-15 per cent." He added that it was another example of bad planning by the MMRDA. "Had they planned the project well in advance, the project could have finished on time," he said.u00a0 "We did two corrections in the alignment during Phase I, which is the Wadala-Chembur route. The other two changes were made in Phase II between Jacob Circle and Wadala."
As per the new deadline set by the MMRDA, the civil work for Phase I (8.26 km) will be completed this month. After tests are conducted for the next six months, it will be open to commuters by November. According to the town planning body's original designs, the Monorail was going to run parallel to the Anik Panjrapol Link Road (APLR). "But construction issues ruled out the possibility to build a Monorail pier in this area. Now the rail will take a right towards the petrochemical refineries and Mysore Colony, and will move onward to Chembur station," the officials said.
The second major alteration in the route was reducing its length by a few metres. Initially, the rail was going to be extended up to Chembur station, going over the bridge and then coming down upon the station road. As per new plan, the Monorail has been terminated just before the Rail Over Bridgeu00a0 (ROB) on the Ramakrishna Chemburkar Marg. Then, the Monorail terminus was going to come up on Keshavrao Khadye Marg, just next to New Shireen Cinema. But after authorities realised the road is too narrow, it was decided to end the route at Sane Guruji Marg.
The last change was made near KEM hospital. Earlier, the rail was going to pass from Mint Colony and was to continue on Parel Tank Road, crossing Jerbai Wadia Road to meet back to G D Ambedkar Marg at Naigaon. "The revised alignment plan turns the rail left from G D Ambekar Marg towards KEM Hospital, then veers it right, through over the road between Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital and Nowrojee Wadia Maternity Hospital, and finally come on G D Ambedkar Marg," he said.
Eco clearance
Environment clearance is another issue delaying the project. "At some places, we have to shift the location of piers as there were utility lines passing under the road surface, because of which project cost will go up," said an official working at the Monorail site on GD Ambedkar Marg. Last year MiD DAY had done a story on how the ongoing construction of Monorail was getting affected as the utility maps were not updated, causing trouble to the MMRDA. Also, the pending decision from the Home Department over starting work on the road outside Arthur Road jail didn't help hurry matters either, sources revealed.
MMRDA joint project director, Dilip Kawatkar, said, "It's true that we had to make changes in the alignment four times but I do not think that there will be a rise in the project cost as there is not much difference in the present and earlier length of the route."
Project details
Name: Jacob Circle-Wadala-Chembur Monorail
Cost: Rs 2,716 crore
Project started: February 2009 (Though, actual work began in November 2008)
Official date of completion: May 2011
Present status: 80 per cent work completed
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Benefits
Reduced traffic: Jacob Circle-Wadala-Chembur Monorail route will help reduce nearly 28,000 taxis and autorickshaw rides and take 25,000 private cards off the roads.
Reduced travel time: MMRDA says the 40-minute commute from Jacob Circle to Chembur will be reduced to 21 minutes
Less crowded: The capacity of the four cars in the monorail system is 8,000 to 12,000 per hour per direction (PHPD).
Reduced pollution: Monorail produces less noise and is eco-friendly.
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