Elattuvalapil Sreedharan is a sprightly 78 and could put people half his age to shame. The country knows him as the ‘metro man’ – he built Delhi’s modern train network that many describe as world class. Before that, he built the Kolkata Metro and the Konkan Railway. But the man who achieved such technological marvels is no techie, telling that he doesn’t carry even a mobile phone. Excerpts:
You’re 78 and still work discernibly hard. What drives you on?
I have no choice. I have a huge responsibility to give Delhi a world class Metro and this requires constant monitoring . Phase II of the Delhi Metro is 123 km long and was completed in four-and-a-half years. No other country has done it in such a short time. Ours is a small team — the operations and maintenance wing has 6,500 personnel and the project wing has 550. So we all have to work hard.
Do you know who will succeed you?
My term is till December. Thereafter , the Delhi government will take a decision. But there are many senior directors in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and any of them can step into my shoes. And I can vouch for their honesty. They all follow the core values I cherish — punctuality, integrity and professional competence . Every DMRC employee is given the Gita and taught yoga. I have zero tolerance for corruption and anyone suspected of it, is given the sack.
Delhi knows you as the ‘Metro Man’ . Are you proud to have built it?
Yes, I am very satisfied. We have a great sense of social accountability and a duty to the city and nation. We worked within the time frame and budget, which in Phase II was Rs 20,000 crore, and protected the environment at the same time.
What was your most difficult project?
The Delhi Metro, no doubt. Each project has distinct challenges. In the case of the Konkan Railway, it was the length, tough terrain and funds. We had to generate two-thirds of the funds. In Delhi, money was not a problem , but the highly technical nature of the project was a challenge. There was substantial computerization, dense population and we couldn’t block too many roads.
What’s the point of a metro railway if the Indian middle class doesn’t have the metro ‘mindset’ and believes that public transport is only for the poor?
That mindset is changing as people realize the metro is safe, reliable and fast. In five years, I am sure upper middle class India will use the metro if it becomes available within half a kilometre of their house. We have covered just 40% of Delhi; 60% remains to be covered in Phase III and IV.
Which other Indian cities most need a metro?
According to the Planning Commission, any city with a population of over three million needs a metro. Some 13 to 14 cities fall in this category. We are the prime consultants for Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata, while we will actually build it in Jaipur. Project reports for Pune, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana are on the anvil even as we wait for approval for Kochi.
You’re 78 and still work discernibly hard. What drives you on?
I have no choice. I have a huge responsibility to give Delhi a world class Metro and this requires constant monitoring . Phase II of the Delhi Metro is 123 km long and was completed in four-and-a-half years. No other country has done it in such a short time. Ours is a small team — the operations and maintenance wing has 6,500 personnel and the project wing has 550. So we all have to work hard.
Do you know who will succeed you?
My term is till December. Thereafter , the Delhi government will take a decision. But there are many senior directors in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and any of them can step into my shoes. And I can vouch for their honesty. They all follow the core values I cherish — punctuality, integrity and professional competence . Every DMRC employee is given the Gita and taught yoga. I have zero tolerance for corruption and anyone suspected of it, is given the sack.
Delhi knows you as the ‘Metro Man’ . Are you proud to have built it?
Yes, I am very satisfied. We have a great sense of social accountability and a duty to the city and nation. We worked within the time frame and budget, which in Phase II was Rs 20,000 crore, and protected the environment at the same time.
What was your most difficult project?
The Delhi Metro, no doubt. Each project has distinct challenges. In the case of the Konkan Railway, it was the length, tough terrain and funds. We had to generate two-thirds of the funds. In Delhi, money was not a problem , but the highly technical nature of the project was a challenge. There was substantial computerization, dense population and we couldn’t block too many roads.
What’s the point of a metro railway if the Indian middle class doesn’t have the metro ‘mindset’ and believes that public transport is only for the poor?
That mindset is changing as people realize the metro is safe, reliable and fast. In five years, I am sure upper middle class India will use the metro if it becomes available within half a kilometre of their house. We have covered just 40% of Delhi; 60% remains to be covered in Phase III and IV.
Which other Indian cities most need a metro?
According to the Planning Commission, any city with a population of over three million needs a metro. Some 13 to 14 cities fall in this category. We are the prime consultants for Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata, while we will actually build it in Jaipur. Project reports for Pune, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana are on the anvil even as we wait for approval for Kochi.
GREAT INFO...AND GOOD JOB!
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