Mumbai: Metro works of more than Rs1.16 lakh crore are underway in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Assembly on Friday. Replying to debate on urban development, he also noted that the area under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has been expanded from 3,965 sq km to 4,355 sq km. "More than Rs 1.16 lakh crore metro works are underway in Mumbai and MMR. Metro 3 will be operational in two phases in 2021 and 2022," Fadnavis said. Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, which will connect east Mumbai with Nhava-Sheva across the creek, is another major project and the work on it is progressing in full swing, he said.
Planning agencies catering to the Mumbai region including the MMRDA, CIDCO are getting loans at low interest rates, the chief minister said. Surya Water Supply Scheme will ensure water supply of 403 million litres per day to the MMR, he said. The Damanganga-Pinjal project will meet Mumbai's water needs till 2060, Fadnavis added. The work on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's memorial at Indu Mills land in Mumbai is going on in full swing, and it will be completed by December 6, 2020, Fadnavis said. "We are working on a hybrid metro system for Nashik city. Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready. It is easily convertible into metro. There is a huge cost difference between the two. Hybrid metro costs around Rs50 crore per km and regular metro costs Rs275 crore per km,” he said.
As to the coastal road project in Mumbai, Fadnavis assured that not a single Koliwada (fisherfolk's settlements) will be affected by it. A common Development Control Regulation for MMR region is in final stages. Survey for redevelopment of BDD chawls in Mumbai is also near completion and it will be one of the biggest redevelopment projects in Asia, the Chief Minister claimed.
