Mumbai: MMRDA Faces Land Acquisition Challenges For Metro 5 Project Work

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had decided to construct a carshed at Kasheli village for Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro 5 project and the Prime Minister also performed bhoomipujan of the proposed project in 2018. However, the project is going on at a snail’s pace and according to reports, only 40% of the total 27 Ha of land required for the carshed has been acquired by the district administration.

The MMRDA had set the target of making this project operational by 2021, but due to a very slow process, the metro is yet to be operational even after three years of the stipulated deadline. It seems, the residents of Thane and Kalyan will have to wait longer to fulfill their dream of travelling in a metro train.

Metro Line 5 is a 24.90-km-long elevated corridor and will provide inter-connectivity with the ongoing Metro Line 4 (Wadala-Kasarvadavli) and the proposed Metro Line 12 (Kalyan-Taloja), apart from the existing Central Railway suburban service.

The MMRDA has divided the project into two phases. The first phase between Thane (Kapurbawadi) to Bhiwandi (Dhamankar Naka) consists of a viaduct of 11.88 km with six stations and a depot at Kasheli besides other related facilities. In the second phase between Bhiwandi (Dhamankar Naka) and Kalyan (Kalyan APMC), there will be a viaduct of 13.02 km (including 3.5 Km underground), seven elevated stations and one underground station.

However, even after five years of foundation stone being laid, the work of the carshed which is an important aspect for this project to be built at Kasheli in Thane taluka, is going on at a very slow pace.

It was decided to construct the carshed at Kasheli in 2019 and accordingly, 27 Ha of land was selected by the district administration that needed to be acquired for the project. However, the farmers have opposed the construction of the carshed, citing that they were not being compensated properly.

Meanwhile, a senior official from district administration said on condition of anonymity that there was no certainty about the land price for the last two-and-half-years. “However, in the last few months, it has been determined and Rs 94 Crore would be given to acquire 27 Ha of land. This will benefit the project-affected farmers financially despite the delay. The process of land acquisition is going on at a fast pace and will be completed soon. Once acquired, the land will be handed over to the MMRDA which will then begin the construction of the carshed,” the official added.

Published on: Saturday, June 08, 2024, 10:25 PM IST