Mumbai: Airoli-Kalwa Rail Corridor Hits Roadblock As NCP-SP Threatens To Halt Survey Over Rehab Row

Mumbai: The long-delayed Airoli–Kalwa elevated railway corridor once again run into trouble, with the Thane unit of the NCP–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) threatening to halt the ongoing survey unless the government issues a written rehabilitation agreement for all project-affected slum dwellers.

The warning was issued after party leader Jitendra Awhad received a letter from the Thane Municipal Commissioner stating that rehabilitation would begin soon after the survey, without specifying where or how families would be resettled.

Awhad criticised the communication as vague and claimed it lacked any concrete roadmap for the relocation of over 750 families whose homes fall directly in the path of the proposed corridor. The issue, dormant for years, resurfaced immediately as the letter failed to give clarity on the rehabilitation process, prompting an aggressive stance from the NCP-SP.

Details Of The Key Project

The approximately 3-km elevated rail corridor, part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), is designed to help Trans-Harbour (TBH) line passengers travel from Kalyan to Navi Mumbai without passing through the congested Thane station.

The two-line route originates from Kalwa railway station, crosses over 5–6 existing tracks at Parsik, descends near the recently opened Digha station, and connects to the TBH line. However, its alignment runs through densely packed slum clusters, leaving hundreds of families at risk of displacement.

Awhad stressed that the project has remained stalled since 2017, primarily due to unresolved rehabilitation concerns. Many of the affected families are daily-wage earners and domestic workers who fear losing their livelihoods if relocated far from their current areas. Local residents, too, have strongly opposed any move without guaranteed resettlement within the vicinity.

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Awhad Threatens To Stop Survey

“We will not allow any survey or project-related activity unless the government provides clear, written details on relocation,” Awhad said as quoted by the Times of India. He added that although Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier promised rehabilitation, the commitments remain informal.

Awhad reiterated that affected residents must be shifted into buildings constructed on available government-owned land in the area and insisted that formal agreements with slum dwellers must be signed before any work proceeds.

With political pressure mounting and residents standing firm, the future of the Airoli–Kalwa elevated corridor now hinges on the government’s ability to present a transparent and acceptable rehabilitation plan.

Published on: Thursday, December 04, 2025, 01:23 PM IST