Metro work comes to a halt in Aluva-stadium corridor

2,000 workers idle as PWD closes access to casting yard

All civil works on the Kochi Metro’s 13-km-long Aluva-international stadium corridor came to a grinding halt on Monday after the PWD blocked the entry to DMRC’s casting yard near HMT for white topping of HMT-Medical College Road.

Subsequently, the threat looms large of the metro’s around 2,000 workers idling for an indefinite period due to non-availability of raw materials, concrete and girders. “It appears that white topping of a 400-metre stretch near the yard is more important to the State government than commissioning Kochi Metro by November 1, the revised deadline. This lopsided priority will cost the metro dear since migrant workers in the yard and on the metro viaduct might return to their home States when there is no work and wages,” metro officials said.

With work coming to standstill, the project cost will increase. The contracting firm L&T will have to be compensated for its idling machinery which include three 150-tonne cranes and two massive 350-tonne cranes.

“The PWD blocking access to the casting yard late on Sunday night came as a surprise since we had taken up the matter with Minister for Public Works V. K. Ibrahim Kunju and Kochi Metro Rail Limited’s (KMRL) MD Elias George when a similar attempt was made a week ago. Closing access to the yard has made it impossible to transport raw materials, including cement to the yard. Transporting girders from the yard to work sites too has come to a standstill. Also at stake are works like concreting girders that are in place and construction of 12 metro stations,” an official said.

They said that the stand off between PWD and metro stakeholders could have been avoided if PWD paved concrete blocks on the 400-metre corridor. “The PWD had laid concrete blocks over a 1.50-km-long stretch when KWA opposed white topping (building a concrete road), citing presence of water pipelines beneath. We suggested concrete blocks since halting metro work for even a day during the November-May working season when rains take a break would have cascading effect,” the official said.

Reacting to the issue, Principal Secretary of PWD A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish said that the PWD had suggested two alternative corridors for transporting goods to and from the yard after a joint inspection. “We waited for 18 months to complete white topping of the 400-metre stretch.