A major construction mishap occurred at the under-construction Metro Line 9 site in Mira Bhayandar on Monday when granite slabs fell onto the road near the Medetiya Nagar metro station. A vehicle passing through the area later ran over debris, resulting in punctured tyres. No injuries were reported.
The incident took place at around 11.50 am while construction work was underway on the Dahisar–Mira Bhayandar Metro Line 9 corridor.
According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), a crane carrying a construction-material lifting container accidentally hit stacked granite slabs near the foot overbridge area. The impact caused some of the slabs to fall within the barricaded construction zone.
School van reports clarified
The incident initially triggered reports that the falling granite had struck a school van. However, MMRDA clarified that no granite slab directly hit a school van or bus. According to the authority, some granite pieces were scattered near the work area, and a vehicle passing through the vicinity subsequently drove over them, puncturing its tyres. No students were inside the vehicle and no one was injured.
Contractors face hefty penalties
Following the incident, authorities imposed significant penalties on agencies associated with the project.
The main contractor, J Kumar, was fined ₹10 crore. The station integration contractor, N.A. Gajanan Construction was ordered to pay ₹1.5 crore, while Systra-CEG, the project's general consultant, was fined ₹1 crore. However, J Kumar has disputed responsibility for the incident.
In a communication to the police, project manager Subrata Das Adhikary reportedly attributed the incident to a possible misjudgement by the crane operator and said the activity was under the control of N.A. Gajanan Construction. The communication also stated that J Kumar had previously installed safety railings at the site, but these were later removed by the finishing contractor to facilitate movement of construction materials.
The incident has once again raised questions over safety arrangements at major infrastructure projects being carried out in densely populated parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
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