Govt of India allows resumption of metro and road construction works

New Delhi, India (Urban Transport News): Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced 21 days countrywide lockdown on 24th March 2020 which was further extended to 19 days from 14th April 2020 to 3rd May 2020. Operations of Metro, Railways and Public Transport across the country were prohibited including ongoing construction activities. In view of economic losses and effects on the livelihood of poor citizens, the Government has now given relief on the resumption of construction activities in major infrastructure sectors including Road, Bridge, Highways, Metro and Railways. However, operations of all types of transportation for transporting public is still prohibited till 3rd May 2020. The advisory comes from the Central Public Works Department as the Ministry of Home Affairs has relaxed some restrictions starting Monday, including for construction activity under certain conditions. The organizations involved in construction, including various metro rail projects, were instructed to ensure that “all labour personnel/staff” returning to work from Monday have downloaded the government’s COVID-19 tracking Mobile app — Aarogya Setu. Before issuing instructions to resume construction work, a video-conference was held on April 17 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with the heads of CPWD, Metro Rail Authorities, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) and NBCC (India). “Every organisation should ensure that all labour personnel/staff get Aarogya Setu app downloaded on their mobile when he/she resumes work,” said in the minutes of the meeting circulated on April 19. However, organizations were instructed to make sure that there is no resumption of work in coronavirus containment zones and only workers still present at the camps should be asked to return to work at a particular site. Question on the resumption of work of Delhi Metro's Phase IV,  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday clarified that no relaxation in lockdown rules will be provided for migrant labourers to go back to work in the city after April 20, in view of spreading and increasing cases of Corona Virus in the national capital. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that they will abide by the government order and no construction activity will be undertaken until further orders. In Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has started work after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gave conditional permission for work to resume on the metro and construction projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “Work on all Metro corridors has either started or is in the process of starting. We are ensuring that adequate social distancing is maintained and the workers are given masks and sanitisers,” said an MMRDA spokesperson. At present, a total of nine metro corridors of the Mumbai Metro Rail project are at different stages of construction in the Mumbai Metropolitan Regions. "The timelines of all projects are bound to be affected due to the suspension of work, and they are in the process of determining the extent of the delay," said MMRDA officials. Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is likely to resume the construction of phase I extension work in north Chennai early next week. “We may start by Monday or Tuesday. But we have to begin with very basic work and gradually with time, full-fledged work will follow. There will be a delay in completing this project but it is inevitable in such a situation when the whole country itself is under lockdown,” an official said, The Hindu reported.