Faced with a shortage of trained hands to work on the huge tunnel boring machines that are being used for the underground sections of the metro, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is relying on "foreign expertise" to carry out the cumbersome work. "There were logistical problems. Getting enough people to man the machines was difficult. So we will have people from Thailand and Singapore among other places now to work on the tunnel boring machines," said a DMRC official.

First time in use

The DMRC will use 14 "Earth Pressure Balance TBMs" for the second phase of constructions as the ground conditions are soft and often wet. "It is for the first time in any Asian city that 14 TBMs are being used simultaneously. The second phase, which has about 30 km underground, will have TBMs working on 16 km, two TBMs are already operational in Malviya Nagar while two others have been lowered at INA. By the end of the year, the rest will also be lowered at different locations including two that will be on the airport line," said DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal.