MC1A Delhi Metro Project: 1st underground metro line for New Delhi

“MC1A Delhi Metro Project brought India to a developed country stage from a developing country status,” says Satyakam Garg, Architectural Head – Metros and Railways, STUP Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
Architect Satyakam Garg is a creative, experienced professional, providing solutions for built environment. Together with a network of consulting associates and partners, he provides services to the global community bringing about creativity through diversity and expansion of ideas, developing the most thoughtful built environment for people to live and experience. In an exclusive interview, he talks about his dream project MC1A Delhi Metro Project.
Socio-economic impacts• The project started a construction revolution in India, where systematic approach to construction as organised activity started• The first project in India to have the ISO certification for on-site safety during the construction• With this project, the economical condition of the civil engineering opportunities grew with finding better job prospects. Not only that even other engineering branches like mechanical and electrical found a new leash of life when metro projects started in Delhi• Delhilites benefitted from this project as a faster, reliable and affordable metro system was available. This also has created an awareness about the contemporary, modern outlook of safe, technologically advanced passenger-handling system• The project brought India to a developed country stage from a developing country status• This project brought organised work culture to Indian construction sites. People started using method statements, ITP and risk assessment with quality control management procedures. Construction workers were treated as important resource with this project with emphasis on their safety and wellbeing. For first time, crèches and proper labour camps were maintained for any project in India.
Challenges faced in executionMain challenges were to enable project execution through highly populated areas without affecting traffic.
Solutions undertakenMethodological approach with respect to utility and traffic diversions, use of advance technology like TBM and top-down construction methods helped in timely completion.
Dream projectMC1A Delhi Metro Project (Metro Corridor between Vishwa Vidyalaya to Kashmere Gate)• Client: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation• Project cost: about ` 1,000 crore• Design and build contract: Kumagai-Skanska-HCC-Itochu• Architect: Maunsell Australia and LPT• USP: affordable, fast mass rapid transport system for public• Status: completed in 2004, 7 months ahead of schedule

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