Delhi Metro stated wrong & misleading projections in its DPR for Phase 1, 2 & 3: CAG Report

New Delhi, India (Urban Transport News): The Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) in its report noted that the total ridership of Delhi Metro Rail Network (Phase-I, Phase-II and Phase-III) in 2019-20 was estimated at 53.47 lakh. However, the actual ridership was 27.79 lakh (2019-20). This is about 60% of the projected ridership. The report was presented in Parliament on December 2, 2021.

CAG also pointed out discrepancies in the tree-cutting estimate of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation 9DMRC) and flagged its claims of compensatory plantation of more than 1.9 lakh trees as ‘misleading’ in its report.

CAG said that DMRC should ensure at the project planning stage itself that Detailed Project Reports (DPR) are prepared with realistic assumptions. “In case of Phase-III specifically, as against the projected ridership of 20.89 lakh in 2019-20 from initially sanctioned four corridors, the actual ridership was only 4.38 lakh, which is 79.02 per cent lower than the projected ridership as per detailed project report.

Similarly, in case of NCR/other extensions, the actual ridership on these corridors was 15.12% to 87.63% lower than the projected ridership,” the CAG said in a performance audit report on Implementation of Phase-III project of Delhi Metro by the DMRC. 

“As per the DPRs of Phase-III and NCR extensions, the total ridership of entire Delhi Metro network (Phase-I, Phase-II and Phase-III) after completion of the project in 2016 was estimated at 43.79 lakh (53.47 lakh in 2019-20). Whereas, after completion of entire Phase-III and NCR extensions, except for a small portion of Dwarka-Dhansa Bus Stand (1.2 km), the actual ridership of DMRC was 27.79 lakh (2019-20) only i.e., 51.97 per cent of the projected ridership,” report said.

The ridership of Dwarka-Najafgarh (Line-9) section was 11,972 (November 2019) after its opening in October 2019, whereas ridership in Dwarka Mor and Dwarka station reduced by 11,074 from September to November 2019 indicating that only 898 new passengers (0.92% as per DPR projected ridership of 97,070) were added after incurring an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,065 crore and recurring significant operation and maintenance expenditure.

Similarly, after the opening of the Mundka-Bahadurgarh section in June 2018 and the actual ridership of 17,304, there was a reduction of 5,762 in ridership of the existing Mundka station during May and July 2018. Thus, only 11,542 new passengers (i.e., 10.93% of projected ridership of 1,05,6,00) were added after incurring an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,991 crore.

The report said the DMRC didn’t adhere to various norms, such as obtaining environmental clearance and monitoring of compensatory afforestation. Moreover, a water audit, required under the National Water Policy, 2012 and DMRC Water Policy, was not conducted and no records were maintained, either by DMRC or contractors for the water extracted, consumed or lost during the expansion.

CAG pointed out that there were no proper records on tree plantations by the forest department and no site visit or inspection was conducted by DMRC officials from April 2011 to December 2018.