Netizens Flag Cracks On Metro 4 Corridor, Raise Alarm Over MMRDA Contractor’s Work Quality After Mulund Fatal Mishap

Fresh concerns over construction quality on Metro Line 4 have erupted after netizens flagged cracks and structural anomalies along the same elevated corridor where a mishap on February 14 in Mulund claimed one life and injured three others. The incidents have triggered sharp questions over the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) appointed contractor’s work quality, supervision mechanisms and accountability framework.

Social Media Flags Issues

Social media users on platform X have shared images and videos of visible cracks and irregularities on metro girders at multiple locations, prompting the agency to issue clarifications while scrambling to inspect the sites. One such instance emerged near the Shreyas Cinema Metro station in Ghatkopar, where photographs showed a prominent line on the girder surface. MMRDA maintained that the “visible line” was excess concrete slurry that can appear during construction and claimed the beam was “completely safe, secure and stable” after the slurry was removed overnight.

MMRDA Issues Clarification

The clarification reads,”Thank you for flagging this. The location (between two girders near the proposed Shreyas Cinema Metro Station on Metro Line 4) has been inspected by the project team. The visible line seen in the visuals is excess concrete slurry (a mix of cement, water, and additives used during construction). Such excess slurry can sometimes appear on the surface. The excess slurry material was removed last night. The beam at the site is completely safe, secure, and stable.”

More Locations Under Scanner

However, concerns deepened as more locations were flagged. Thane resident and social worker Sachin Shingare highlighted cracks near the Kasarvadavli Police Station on Metro Line 4, and another location below the Vijaya Garden station. MMRDA said the Kasarvadavli site had been inspected, asserting that the precast parapet wall completed five months ago was stable and that the shuttering seen was temporary support to be removed after the concrete achieves required strength.

Demand For Safety Audit

Shingare, however, questioned the authority’s approach and called for transparency. “No construction activity is going on as of now. In fact, trial runs were held, so the authority needs to be more careful. Though I shared pictures about cracks, I demand that the authority should conduct a safety audit and release photos of audit to address the concerns being raised. Ghodbunder Road sees traffic throughout the day and negligence cannot be tolerated,” he told The Free Press Journal.

Engineers Intensify Site Visits

MMRDA senior Official have already acknowledged that its engineers have intensified site visits after the Mulund incident to supervise metro lines.

Layered Contracting Questioned

The controversy has brought renewed scrutiny to the execution chain of Metro Line 4, a key corridor connecting Thane and Mumbai. The stretch where the Mulund mishap occurred was initially executed by the Reliance–Astaldi consortium but later subcontracted to Milan Builtech in 2022 due to delays, and further sublet to smaller agencies—raising questions about layered contracting and diluted accountability.

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Consultants Face Action

MMRDA had appointed general consultants—Louis Berger, Hill International and DB International—among the top global firms, to oversee quality and safety. officials admitted that despite repeated warnings, corrective action was not taken in time.

“Over the last two and a half years, more than 150 notices have been issued to these consultants across various projects. They were repeatedly warned that their work was slow,” an official said, adding that the consultants have now been terminated under a zero-tolerance policy.

Penalties After Mishap

Preliminary findings into the Mulund mishap have resulted in penalties of Rs 5 crore on the contractor and Rs 1 crore on the general consultants, with officials indicating that fines could be increased. However, urban planners and citizens alike argue that financial penalties alone cannot compensate for systemic lapses in supervision, especially on high-risk urban infrastructure projects.

Public Confidence Erodes

As MMRDA pushes ahead with multiple mega transport projects across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the spate of crack sightings—real or perceived—has eroded public confidence and reignited debates on whether the authority’s monitoring mechanisms are robust enough to prevent tragedies, rather than reacting after lives are lost.

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