The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has imposed a cumulative penalty of Rs 12.5 crore on agencies involved in the construction of Metro Line 9 following a safety lapse at the under-construction Medetiya Nagar station on the Western Express Highway.
J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd (JKIL), the main contractor, has been fined Rs 10 crore, while N.A. Gajanan Construction has been penalised Rs 1.5 crore. The project’s General Consultant, Systra-CEG, has also been fined Rs 1 crore.
Granite Stones Fall During Material-Shifting Work
The incident occurred at around 11.50 am on Monday, August 17, during debris removal and material-shifting operations at the Metro Line 9 site. According to MMRDA, a crane-operated material basket came into contact with granite stones stacked near the foot-over bridge (FOB).
The impact dislodged the stones, which fell from the FOB level into the barricaded construction area. Some scattered granite pieces were subsequently run over by a passing vehicle, puncturing its tyres. No injuries were reported.
MMRDA Clarifies School Vehicle Reports
MMRDA clarified that none of the granite stones directly struck a school bus or van and that no students were present in the vehicle. The authority said the material fell within the barricaded work zone.
Following the incident, MMRDA initiated action against the agencies involved and directed them to strengthen safety measures and strictly follow prescribed protocols.
JKIL Denies Involvement
JKIL has maintained that it was not involved in the activity that led to the incident at Entry/Exit-3 of Medetiya Nagar station. In a letter to Navghar Police Station, the contractor said the crane and operator belonged to N.A. Gajanan Construction, which was undertaking finishing work for Metro Line 9 Phase 2.
JKIL stated that the granite lifting and shifting operation was being carried out by Gajanan Construction and claimed that, according to information available to it, no lifting permit had been issued at the time.
The company also said a safety railing installed earlier by JKIL at the FOB had subsequently been removed by the finishing contractor to facilitate material shifting. JKIL said it neither hired nor operated the crane and had no control over its functioning.
The incident has renewed concerns over construction safety along Mumbai’s expanding Metro network, particularly at sites located close to busy roads. Metro Line 9 is being developed to connect Dahisar East with Mira-Bhayandar.
Source: The Free Press Journal
