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Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray demands removal of Turkish firm Dogus Soma from Mumbai Metro project after flooding at underground station raises safety and security concerns.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday revealed that a Turkish company was involved in Mumbai’s Metro tunnelling work and demanded that the firm’s services be terminated following heavy rains that flooded an underground station.
Speaking to reporters, Thackeray demanded compensation for owners of commercial establishments and residences in Mumbai and Pune who suffered losses due to the intense rainfall on Monday. He attributed the flooding to the Mahayuti government’s "mismanagement" and lack of preparedness.
The former state minister pointed out that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which has been without elected representatives since March 2022, is currently run by the Chief Minister’s Office and the Urban Development Department led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of failing to prepare the BMC adequately for the monsoon season.
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Metro Line 3 Operations Suspended Due to Flooding
Operations on Mumbai Metro Line 3 between Acharya Atre Chowk and Worli were suspended on Monday after flooding was reported inside the underground station following the first heavy monsoon showers. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) stated that water seepage occurred at the under-construction entry/exit structure when the reinforced cement concrete (RCC) water-retaining wall collapsed due to sudden ingress of water from an adjoining utility.
The flooding incident has raised serious concerns about the construction quality and monsoon preparedness of the underground metro station on the 33-km Colaba-BKC-Aarey JVLR corridor.
Security Concerns Over Awarding Project to Turkish Firm
Thackeray strongly criticized the decision to award tunnelling work to Dogus Soma, raising security concerns in light of Turkey’s controversial support for Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor,’ India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. He questioned:
"Why did you not remove this company the way you removed (ground handling firm from Turkey) Celebi. Did the company do this purposely to pose a danger to India and Mumbai? Is it not a security threat that the tunnelling work was awarded to Dogus Soma? Dogus Soma should be removed (from work)," he demanded.
Turkey is currently facing severe backlash in India for supporting Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor.’ The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has revoked the security clearance for another Turkish company, Celebi, which handled passenger and cargo services at nine major airports including Goa, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai.
