Attention please: the Metro to Anand Vihar is running late

The Indraprastha-Anand Vihar Metro project may miss its deadline

The fear of delay looms large over the Indraprastha-Anand Vihar Metro line, which could become the first project of the prestigious corporation to miss a deadline.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) project was to be completed by December 2009. But sources said that the accident at the Laxmi Nagar site in east Delhi on October 19, 2008, is the main reason for the delay.

After the mishap, in which an under-construction girder collapsed, leading to the death of two persons, DMRC had ordered an inspection of all the machines being used at its various sites. "A number of machines have failed to get clearance from the DMRC, hence, work has come to a halt. The project is now behind schedule by two to three months," said an official, requesting anonymity.

"A number of senior officials of Afcons Infrastructure Ltd were under tremendous pressure after the mishap," said the official. To worsen the situation, over 15 senior engineers associated with the project have either been removed or have quit under pressure from the DMRC, sources said.

Meanwhile, DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said, "We are confident work will be completed in its stipulated time. The project was running ahead of its schedule."