The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Friday imposed a Rs 1 crore penalty on the contractor after a video went viral on social media showing surface damage and potholes on the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu. In a statement, the MMRDA held Daewoo, the joint venture of Tata Projects, accountable for damages on the Atal Setu during the extremely heavy rainfall during the monsoon.
It also said that MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee has also conducted an inspection of the Atal Setu and found that a limited stretch of 2 km on the Navi Mumbai-bound carriageway had damages and potholes. "The cause was attributed to extreme weather during the monsoon and continuous traffic flow," the MMRDA statement read.
"The MMRDA team instructed the contractor, Daewoo – Tata Infrastructure Projects, to complete resurfacing of the affected stretch within five days. It was made clear that if the work is not completed within the stipulated time, further action will be taken against the contractor," it said, adding that Daewoo's Defect Liability Period (DLP), which was to end in January next year, has also been extended by one year.
Atal Setu's inauguration and its viral video
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, also called the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January last year. It was built for Rs 17,840 crore and is 21.8 km long, making it India's longest sea bridge. The Atal Setu is also the world's 12th-longest sea bridge.
Recently, a video has gone viral on social media that showed multiple potholes on the Atal Setu. The video provided fodder to the opposition to attack the Maharashtra government. "The MTHL, named Atal Setu, was 82% complete when our government was toppled. Then Fakenath Mindhe and BJP government was forced on to our state. Road surfacing began. The rest of the work took 2 years. Inaugurated in 2024, after a delay of 6 months. Now damaged within a year. The bjp- Mindhe regime’s loot knows no end. This is what they’ve done to our State," posted Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray on X.
