Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has suspended all construction work on the 32.32-kilometre Metro 4 corridor following the parapet collapse incident at a metro site in Mulund on Saturday which killed one person. It has also constituted a ‘Special Intensive Safety Inspection Team’ comprising 13 officials to examine safety lapses along the entire Metro 4 route.
Construction will resume only after the team submits its report and adequate measures are in place to address lapses, according to an internal office order issued by Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwin Mudgal, which Hindustan Times has accessed.
On Sunday, the MMRDA also informed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7) that the main contractor/ subcontractor/ general consultant may have been responsible for Saturday’s incident.
“As per preliminary assessment, the incident appears to have occurred due to negligence on the part of the concerned contractor/ subcontractor and lack of adequate supervision by the general consultant of Metro 4. However, a detailed investigation is being initiated to ascertain the exact cause and fix responsibility.”
According to the internal order cited earlier, the 13-member inspection team will carry out a “comprehensive, corridor wise and without exception inspection, covering every nook and corner of Metro 4.”
The team will cross-check actual construction work with architectural drawings and inspect parapets, edge beams, crash barriers, handrails, attachments, structural elements above live traffic and public access areas, safety nets, barricading, and traffic protection measures, among other things.
The team commenced with inspections on Sunday morning and the exercise is likely to continue for another 3-4 days, MMRDA officials said. If members notice any safety lapses, they have been instructed to flag these immediately, the officials added.
“Once the inspection is complete, we will prepare a list of safety lapses and corresponding corrective measures,” an MMRDA official said, requesting anonymity. “Only after these measures are in place, permission will be given to resume construction.”