Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) faces a major challenge as a severe labor shortage affects Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail project, projected at ~Rs 63,246 crore. The expansion spans 118.9 km across three corridors: Corridor 3 (Madhavaram to SIPCOT), Corridor 4 (Light House to Poonamallee), and Corridor 5 (Madhavaram to Sholinganallur).
According to CMRL officials, nearly 40% of the workforce has been absent from construction sites since April 2024. Many workers returned to their home states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh to vote in the Lok Sabha elections and have not yet returned. This shortage is especially affecting elevated segments in Corridor 5, where the immediate priority is completing the Poonamallee-Porur section. The target completion date is next year, but the lack of labor is raising concerns about meeting this deadline.
Efforts by CMRL to address the shortage included flying in some workers, while others traveled by train, but these measures haven’t filled the gap completely. Competition with other infrastructure projects in North and Central India has pulled many of the Metro's former laborers away. The availability of jobs closer to their hometowns has made it challenging to bring them back to Chennai.
Chennai Metro’s expansion, launched in 2007, is a joint project between the Government of India and the Tamil Nadu government. Phase I, completed in 2019, spans 45.1 km with a mix of elevated and underground stations. Phase II, critical for serving the city’s growing population expected to reach 12.5 million by 2026, will add 118.9 km, extending connectivity and meeting rising transportation needs. Completion of this phase is slated for 2026.
No comments:
Post a Comment