The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) undertaking the underground Colaba--Bandra--SEEPZ Metro Line 3 has attained over 50 kms of tunnelling work so far, which is 93 per cent of the total project. Though the tunnelling work has been almost completed, works of other civil activities including tunnel cementing, station construction, track laying and system installation yet to gain momentum.
Meanwhile, 100 per cent tunnelling work between Sahar Road Metro Station and CSMIA T1 in Package 6 has been attained with the completion of 36th breakthrough recently. Tunnel boring machine Tapi-1 and 2, equipped with capabilities of working in hard rock conditions, have completed this stretch in 15 months.
This package includes CSMIA T1, T2 and Sahar Road Metro stations, witnessed 4 breakthroughs (CSMIA T2 to Sahar Road (Upline – 687m and downline – 692m), (Sahar Road to CSMIA T1 (Upline – 1515m and downline – 1512m).
While the underground metro work is gearing up, the quandary of controversial metro depot is yet to be resolved. Reportedly, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray declared depot to be shifted to Kanjurmarg from Aarey following people's objection. Now since the new depot is proposed at Kanjurmarg, which is a salt pan land and claimed to be under the Central government 's ownership, both Centre and state have locked horns over it.
The underground Metro 3 is planned to be operationalised in two phases. The stretch from Aarey Colony to Bandra Kurla Complex was to be opened by December 2021 and the stretch from Bandra Kurla Complex to Cuffe Parade by mid-2022. However, pandemic induced lockdown and delay over depot land has eventually extended the time line of the project.
