Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd floated tender to onboard a Consultant to carry out the Social Impact Assessment and Social Safeguards Action Plan for Panvel-Virar New Suburban Corridor project for seeking finance from the World Bank towards the cost of the proposed Suburban Corridor Panvel – Virar (70.4 km) of Central & Western Railway.
The Consultant will work towards identification of potential Social Impact of the project, recommendation with specific measures to avoid/mitigate the impacts, formulation of implementable Social Management Plan (SMP) integrating specific measures to avoid the identified impacts along with appropriate monitoring and supervision mechanism, review the project component and identified possible social issues to be addressed during planning, design construction and operation of project and recommend suitable institutional mechanism to monitor and supervise effective implementation of EMP. The draft Terms of Reference for this assignment can be found at www.mrvc.indianrailways.gov.in . The short listing criteria are:
- Experience of major similar assignment completed/in progress in past 10 years for infrastructure works/projects with preference for experience on Railway Projects.
- Financial status with consultancy turnover of past 5 years
- Availability of appropriate skills among key personnel, team composition etc.
- Response to TOR
- Credentials of the firm
Consultant will be selected in accordance with the QCBS method set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulation for IPF Borrowers, July 2016 issued by World Bank.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway network on Central and Western Railways has about 376 route Kms. Every day about 7.6 million people travel in Suburban section in more than 2900 train services. There is severe overcrowding in the Suburban trains and during peak hours passengers carried are more than four times the carrying capacity. Given the geographical constraints, spread of the population and location of business areas, the rail network will continue to be the principal mode of mass transport in Mumbai. The cost of the project is shared equally by MOR & GoM.
MRVC has accordingly completed MUTP Phase I in 2012; works of MUTP Phase II sanctioned in 2008-09 are under progress and expected to be completed by 2019-20. MUTP Phase III has been sanctioned in November 2016. Panvel-Diva-Vasai road – Virar New Suburban corridor project included in the Railway Budget 2017-2018 in Parliament of India and is under process of sanction by Ministry of Railways.
Panvel-Virar Suburban Corridor is 70.17 Km long double line project having 24 stations. It is 17 Km elevated and 53Kmat Grade. The Corridor is planned almost parallel to existing section except a small length from Nilje to Kopar.
Panvel-Virar is being considered for funding by World Bank. Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Management Plan including Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) are required as per World Bank safeguard policy.
The DPR for Panvel-Virar has been carried out by MRVC and study reports are available. Work of Interim Consultancy (IC) is under process of finalization . The relevant details from these consultancies will be shared with the SIA consultant.