Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) imposed a penalty of Rs 1.29 crore on two contractors for delays in the construction of the Metro-2B corridor from Andheri West, DN Nagar to Mandale in Mankhurd. The first phase of the project, covering the Diamond Garden-Mankhurd stretch, was scheduled to be operational by the end of this year. However, contractor negligence has caused major delays, further leading MMRDA to take strict action.
Maha Mumbai Metro
Details On The Project
The Metro-2B corridor, an extension of the Dahisar-Andheri West, DN Nagar Metro-2A line, spans 23.6 km with 19 stations. The construction is divided into two phases, with the first phase covering a 5.5 km stretch from Diamond Garden to Mandale, including five metro stations. Contractors NCC Limited and J. Kumar were given strict instructions to expedite the work, but continued delays led to financial penalties. J. Kumar, in particular, has faced multiple fines in the past for lapses in various metro projects.
Details On The Fines Imposed
According to a Loksatta report quoting MMRDA sources, the penalties were imposed due to delays in both structural and finishing work for Phase 1. The elevated metro corridor construction for Phase 1 was awarded to NCC Limited in 2019 for Rs 458.93 crore. Since the project was not completed within the stipulated timeframe, the contract was extended until June 2025. However, despite the extension, the contractor failed to accelerate the work, resulting in a penalty of Rs 1.07 crore.
Meanwhile, J. Kumar, which was responsible for roofing and other structural work at five metro stations, was fined Rs 21.97 lakh for similar delays. The company had secured a Rs 99.3 crore contract in October 2022, with a completion deadline set for 2025.
J. Kumar Fined Previously For Negligence In Other Metro Projects
J. Kumar had previously been fined Rs 46 lakh in October 2024 for failing to complete the construction of piers and pier caps on time. The company was also fined Rs 30 lakh for an accident on the Dahisar-Mira-Bhayandar Metro-9 line and Rs 2 crore by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) after water leakage was detected in the Metro-3 (Aarey-BKC) section during testing. With these repeated instances of negligence, J. Kumar has now accumulated fines totalling Rs 5.5 crore.
With construction falling behind schedule, MMRDA has warned the contractors of further penalties if the pace of work does not improve. The authority remains firm on its goal of making the first phase operational by the end of the year and is closely monitoring the progress to avoid further setbacks.
