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CW’s webinar discussed how COVID-19 will lead to an increase in technology dependency in metro-rail construction, and more... The disruption caused by the nationwide lockdown and the subsequent workersâ€� exodus from cities back to their homes will result in technology playing a bigger role in the execution of metro-rail projects. That was the consensus expressed at a the webinar organised by CW and INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY (IT) on ‘The New Metro Life-Lineâ€�. Moderated by Pratap Padode, Editor-in-Chief, CW and IT, the distinguished panel of experts included Nalin Gupta, Managing Director, J Kumar Infra Projects; Bhushan Vartak, Vice President, Datamatics Global Solutions; Kumar Keshav, Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corp; Dr Ramnath Subramaniam, Director, Strategic Planning, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corp; and Elias George, Partner & Head, Infrastructure, Government & Healthcare, KPMG in India. The webinar was supported by J Kumar Infraprojects and Datamatics. Managing the COVID crisis “One issue that will persist in India is availability of manpower, its pricing and timelines because cities are getting congested,â€� opined Gupta. “We can try for increased mechanisation. In the Mumbai Metro, we have made the whole station except the foundation and pier through pre-casting. More pre-casting will help speed up metro projects, reduce traffic issues and increase productivity with reduced labour.â€� Mumbai-based provider of IT, data management and business process management services Datamatics Global Solutions remotely developed and tested its automated fare collection system. “While our ticket collection machine and gates were in the factory, our team installed the software remotely and tested it through video conference. Then, we offered it to Mumbai Metro who meticulously checked out each aspect and measurement of the gate over video conference,â€� shared Vartak. The company is now working on developing chatbots for processes like ticketing with limited success. Given the requirements of our diverse society, many issues need to be ironed out before a mass rollout of the technology. “The technology needs to mature to understand Indian accents and languages,â€� he explained. “AI can help predict faults ahead of time. But it is only as good as the quality of data. While preventive maintenance will help bring down costs, AI can also be used in planning.â€� The pandemic has provided a trigger for both developers and operators to scrounge for out-of-the-box ideas to keep work going. Although some solutions have been around for several years, the crisis is likely to result in their large-scale deployment. The recent flight of migrant workers is one of the biggest causes behind this shift. Although they generally travel home in March for the harvesting season, the COVID-19 outbreak exacerbated the exodus. “We provided them with meals, sanitation and counselling on the need to stay back in camps,â€� revealed Gupta. “Despite all these measures, the two-month lockdown made them mentally vulnerable. We are left with only 20-30 per cent labour strength at all our sites.â€� According to Indian Railways, the Shramik Special trains operationalised by Asia’s second-largest railway transporter carried over 4.8 million passengers, including migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places, in May. Other major concerns In an interactive poll conducted during the webinar on the ridersâ€� biggest concern once metro-rail services resume, a large percentage expressed the fear of catching the Coronavirus infection during peak hour travel. This was followed by infection from co-passengers and touching multiple surfaces. Suggestions from the audience included cooling trains before boarding. Allaying such fears, Keshav said, “With regard to operation, ISHRAE has given guidelines for air-conditioning systems, with most to be operated in the open mode.â€� (Read more in our Feature story on HVAC.) He added that all metro systems would need to ensure proper crowd management, sanitisation and social distancing. And Dr Subramaniam cautioned, “The last two years were challenging. Now, with this Corona problem, we will have a very tough time.â€� On being asked about preparedness for the monsoon, Gupta observed, “As all state governments have been very supportive, we are focusing on arrangements for unsafe drainage and pits. For underground work, we have a dewatering system installed at all our project sites.â€� Financial viability Another important point discussed was the ability of mass rapid transit systems to make money. George described metro-rail as the one-stop solution for the ills afflicting urban India. “Of the 200-odd metros worldwide, only a handful make a profit,â€� he pointed out. “Looking at the balance sheet alone is not a good way of evaluating a metro. Why do people build a metro? It is because the benefit will not come back to the operator. It goes back into the revival of the whole economic aura of the city and facilitates ease of travel, especially women’s safety. We need to monetise these benefits.â€� The former IAS officer and managing director of Kochi Metro Rail urged states to maximise the Centre’s plug-and-play template to focus on aspects like transit area development. Keshav, too, felt that as metro projects had large socioeconomic benefits, RoI alone wasn’t probably the right way of assessing them. “The Metro Policy 2017 says that 2 million-plus cities must plan for a metro. Thirty-two cities in the country have a 2 million-plus population. That means 32 metros should be sanctioned and not 27. In all advanced economies, cities with a million-plus population have a metro!â€� He remarked that public transport was the need of our cities, with the pandemic again proving that the railway was the best solution for urban transportation. Referring to his time with the Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC), he shared how the country’s largest metro-rail system started with a ridership of just 6,000 passengers daily on the Shahadra-Tees Hazari section. Today, the total ridership on the metro is over 4 million passengers per month. “There is a huge migration across the world from private transit to public transport,â€� asserted George. “State governments have to work to convince people to make the move in India as well.â€� Another audience poll revealed that the people expected road traffic to decline following the launch of new metro-rail projects. Maharashtra Metro Rail Corp’s Dr Subramaniam said metros were not expected to make money. “The way the fares are controlled, the 40-odd-per-cent is the fare part of it and 60-per-cent is the non-fare part, looking at the best-case scenario of a Singapore or Hong Kong metro. The detailed project reports (DPRs) of both Nagpur and Pune were constructed such that 1 per cent stamp duty and development charges were put there right in the beginning,â€� he informed. He said the two elements were incorporated to make the metros sustainable. Dr Subramaniam also informed that they had come up with a new bus-based concept called Metro Neo for a small city like Nashik. “The capex reduces from say `2.5 billion for a normal metro and `1.25 billion for a Metro Lite, to less than `1 billion per km for a Metro Neo, with the capacity to scale up operations.â€� The efficacy of running MRTS projects on the PPP model was also discussed. George felt the answer was directly tied to the fate of PPP projects. Till about 2012, 40 per cent of India’s infrastructure investment was from the private sector; this has come down to 20 per cent. This was not viable as infrastructure projects cannot be created with public money alone. “We tend to push things like land acquisition into the private sector,â€� he pointed out. “So, people don’t feel very secure about investing their money into such JVs. Second, you need a stable policy and regulatory environment where investors are secure about their money over the next 30 years. If we get these things right, the money will start flowing in.â€� Earlier, moderator Padode had remarked, “The five-year order book from FY2020-25 for metro-rail projects in India is estimated to be at Rs.2.5-2.6 trillion. Further, the investment for the segment during the period is estimated to be `3.5-3.6 trillion. Of this, 55-60 per cent of the order book is likely to be in the construction segment. This is an opportunity for EPC companies.â€� To share your views, write in at [email protected]