The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train has run into several problems in the state with regards to land acquisitions and legal and environmental hurdles.
However, the work on it in neighbouring Gujarat has been progressing rapidly. The Economic Times had earlier reported that only 22 per cent of land acquisition has been completed in the state with no contract being awarded yet on the 508-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor. Moreover, even the stretch connecting Thane to Virar where no land acquisition is required has been stuck due to the legal hurdles over axing of the mangrove forests to build it.
The delay in the project has been largely attributed to the Maha-Vikas Aghadi coalition government due to their non-committal stance in the matter.
Earlier on September 24, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation had opened the bids for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project covering the Gujarat stretch of it, with seven bidders qualifying for the 508-km-long project.
This project happens to be the ambitious project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which had strong opposition from the Thackeray government over implementation of a project which requires huge funds. Moreover, there has been criticism with regards to the land acquisition in both Gujarat and Maharashtra.
This happens to be the biggest EPC (Engineering, procurement and construction) contract awarded in the country to date and is the first of its kind project with a mandate to construct which is part of the Mumbai Ahmedabad HighSpeed Rail Project. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is 508 km long and will cover the distance between the two states in just two hours.
Share
Tweet
