Best ever performance when conditions are the toughest and most challenging, is the hardest thing to achieve. But that is what has been precisely achieved by Maha Metro in Nagpur & Pune Metro projects in the March 2021 and the year 2020-21 in terms of our physical and financial progress, despite the gravest challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic through the year.

This has been made possible by the use of Five Dimensional Building Information Modelling (5DBIM) system. We have achieved best-ever performance during worst times,” said Dr Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director of Maha Metro.

The expenditure in March 2021 was Rs 685 crore and in 2020-21 was Rs 3,303 crore. The previous best was in March 2019 – Rs 669 crore and 2018-19 – Rs 2,894 crore.Maha Metro has thus surpassed its own previous records and proved that even the pandemic could not deter it from overcoming its set targets. The percentage rise in March 2021 expenditure as compared to March 2019 was 2.39% while the rise for 2020-21 as compared to 2018-19 was 14.13%.

5DBIM is a BIM based approach in which individual 3DBIM components (with complete information) are linked with time information in schedule and equivalent cost information. By integrating three dimensional (3D) model with time and cost information one can view virtual construction of 3D model. Maha Metro has taken a pioneering step to integrate 5DBIM with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application to create ‘One Project One Platform’ thereby automating its project management process.

• `Co-ordinated team work was done duly addressing challenges of pandemic’: Commenting on the record performance, Mr Mahesh Kumar Agrawal, Director (Project), said, “A co-ordinated team work for construction of station, viaduct, double decker bridge and track was carried out duly addressing severe challenges of Covid-19 pandemic. Special tasks were assigned to key officials of Metro to ensure that construction labourers strictly follow the guidelines issued by Government of India (GoI). Another task of keeping the morale of labourers, staff and engineers, high was also successfully achieved.”

• `Metro achieved best progress despite nation-wide lockdown’: Mr S Sivamathan, Director (Finance), said, “Despite nation-wide lockdown, exodus of labourers from site on few occasions, Maha Metro achieved best ever physical and financial progress during financial year 2020-21. Best ever cash expenditure incurred during the year 2020-21 was Rs 3,303 crore as against previous best of Rs 2,894 crore in 2018-19, due to meticulous planning, proper care of contractors’ labourers by providing food, shelter, etc.”

• `Safety of workers was not compromised while working’: Mr Sunil Mathur, Director (Rolling Stock), said, “The record performance has been achieved due to excellent team work. We did the work in a distributed manner without burdening anybody. While working we ensured that safety of workers was not compromised.”

• `Contractors’ employees worked unmindful of their personal discomfort’ : Maha Metro has hired the services of General Consultant for the Metro Rail Project. Commenting on Maha Metro’s best-ever performance, Mr R Ramanathan, Project Director, General Consultant (GC), said, “Even during Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021, contractors’ workers under the guidance of GC and Maha Metro officials duly following all safety precautions unmindful of their personal discomfort.” GC is a consortium of consulting agencies.

• `Workforce is the main pillar to achieve the best deadlines’: Maha Metro has employed some of the best companies for execution of Nagpur Metro Project. Afcons – a unit of ShaporjiPalonji Group

of companies is one such firm. Mr AmarsinhRaut, local head of Afcons, said, “Workforce is the main pillar to achieve the best deadlines. Their health, safety and wellbeing were of utmost priority to all of us.”

Despite extremely adverse conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Maha Metro achieved its best performance in 2020-21. It continues to do excellent work on Nagpur and Pune Metro projects in 2021-22. According to Dr Brijesh Dixit when the going gets tough, the tough gets going and this applies to Maha Metro.