Kolkata: Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) has been incurring a daily loss of around Rs 9 lakh in idling charges due to the stalling of the girder launching work for the New Garia-Airport Metro at Chingrighata, the implementing agency of the 29-km Orange Line has told Kolkata Police.
With a huge 300MT girder-launcher being stuck at the same spot off EM Bypass for 60 days, the losses have mounted to Rs 5.4 crore. The machine has to launch girders to fill the final 366m viaduct gap to Sector V. The Orange Line currently runs 5.4km from New Garia to the Ruby crossing. Of the next 8 km to reach Sector V, only the 366m viaduct gap remains at Chingrighata. Unless this gap is bridged, Metro cannot move forward to make the Ruby-Sector V section operational. Metro officials claimed the girder-launch was stuck as police here had not allowed a traffic block, which was required to launch the girder atop the Chingrighata crossing's Ultadanga-bound flank. To reduce the idling cost, RVNL has asked contractors to remove workers and machines, except the girder-launcher, from the Chingrighata site.
But police denied having any role in the Metro extension's delay. "The girder-launching was supposed to be carried out in Dec last year, but they revised the plan. This crossing is one of the busiest in the city. The board exams were on, followed by competitive exams. With the summer setting in, we must deal with nor'westers as well. We need definite plans from RVNL on mitigating the challenges. Also, timelines should be adhered to," a Lalbazar officer said. "We are ready to cooperate. After all, this is an important infrastructural project for the city."
The Kolkata Traffic Police was supposed to allow the traffic block on Feb 2. Accordingly, a Metro official said, girder-launching schemes were drawn in consultation with the traffic department, and the launcher was made to proceed. The traffic block was sought in two phases—three nights in each phase, between 10 pm and 7 am. A 600m road has also been built for vehicle use at the time the Chingrighata flank will remain shut for six nights. "Wednesday will be the 60th day since the girder launcher was stuck atop Chingrighata in anticipation of the traffic block. RVNL has written to the traffic department that it is incurring a daily loss of around Rs 9 lakh as idling charge," said an official, who has a copy of the letter. "By now, the idling charges must have exceeded Rs 4 crore."
A railway official said, "The Orange Line's Sector V extension will not happen in June either. Phase II seems to be indefinitely on hold. The Metro authorities are continuously revising deadlines, hoping that the traffic block will come."