Infra contractor blacklisted by BMC for 7 years resurfaces on Metro 2A project , and yet again, doing a shoddy job

Andheri Link Road

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

DMRC

MMRDA

J Kumar Infra Projects

This is the state of the Andheri Link Road near Laxmi Industrial Estate, one of the busiest arterial roads in the suburb, after just eight days of rain. DMRC says the contractor was told to re-lay this stretch at the last minute, and is now waiting for ‘sunny days’ to fill these potholes

re-laid 25 days ago as part of metro work, is already full of craters.was one of the seven tainted contractors indicted in the Rs 350-crore roads scam that came to light last year. But in a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand does, DMRC appointed this banned contractor and it is us, the commuters, who are now paying for it.The Andheri Link Road, one of the busiest arterial roads in the suburb, is riddled with crater-sized potholes merely 25 days after it was relaid by J Kumar Infra Projects as part of the ongoing work they are doing for the 18.60 kilometre-long Metro.This has prompted concern from activists and citizens about the overall quality and safety of the work on this sector of the metro.Prashant Rane, activist and branch head of MNS ward 60, has written to the DMRC raising these points. “They (the contractor) has not learnt any lessons and used inferior quality of materials for road work at Andheri Link Road where the utility services have been shifted. This road work was done just 25 days back. It couldn’t sustain eight days of Mumbai rains. Already there are huge craters seen. If the contractor is unable to handle simple roadworks, how will commuters feel safe about this Metro line project? We, as residents, are scared after the recent Andheri Gokhale bridge collapse,” he has said.On its part the DMRC has acknowledged Rane’s concern. They wrote back to him saying:“It is accepted that potholes have developed in the recently completed Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) works at Adarsh Nagar and in front of Laxmi Industrial Estate. This is because the seal coat could not be provided over DBM before heavy rains. However, efforts are being made to ensure that potholes are being addressed in time so as to cause minimum inconvenience to commuters and provide seal coat as soon as sunny days are available. Their maintenance and rectification will be done by the executing agency at its cost. We regret any inconvenience to you and commuters of Mumbai and assure you that smooth road surface shall be available at above locations within next 15 days.”A DMRC spokesperson told told this newspaper that the roads which have developed potholes were done at the behest of MMRDA and the BMC, one month prior to monsoon.Commenting on their choice of the tainted contractor, project director DMRC P K Sharma merely said, “This contractor has been given civil works of Metro via-ducts and this roadwork wasn’t to be carried out by us because it was outside the Metro’s barricade area. It was only this year, on MMRDA’s insistence that we did the roadwork before monsoon outside the barricade area. The last layer which is a superior layer of Bitumen Macadam wasn’t put by the contractor before completing the work which led to potholes. But it will be rectified and traffic will not be disrupted.”“Just because they are blacklisted by the BMC doesn’t mean other agencies cannot appoint them. When he was blacklisted the tender contract was still in process. J Kumar Infra project was the lowest, eligible bidder as per tender. MMRDA has also appointed this contractor for other works. This contractor is awarded Rs 1300 crore project and will be responsible for the entire Metro 2A project--for pillars, super structures (bridges and viaducts) and station buildings,” he added.RM Kulkarni, vice president, J Kumar Infra projects, said, “We are doing the Metro 2A work and wherever excavation is required we are reinstating it as per the contract requirement. The bitumen work to fix potholes cannot be done during rains. After the intensity of rains reduce, we will fix the potholes.” Kulkarni did not want to comment on the issue of BMC blacklisting the company.