Mumbai: The Pestom Sagar Citizens’ Forum has started an online signature campaign to draw the MMRDA’s attention to rename the Garodia Nagar station on Metro Line 4 (Wadala to Kasarvadavali) as Pestom Sagar, a very old colony which are home to over 2,000 families. The forum has so far obtained over 1,000 signatures supporting the renaming.
Haresh Shah, one of the activists of the forum, said it is a matter of pride to name the metro station Pestom Sagar. He said, “We had already written letters to the authorities; however, no decision has been taken yet. The station is currently called Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar, which is one kilometre away from this upcoming station.” He insisted that it should rightly be called Pestom Sagar as they have borne the day and night noise of construction work.
Agreeing to the collective demand, the Pestom Sagar Citizens’ Forum secretary Mohini Thakare said the upcoming station is right across Pestom Sagar colony and it would be misleading to call it Garodia Nagar, which is two bus stops away. Thakare said, “The station near Tilak Nagar colony is named after that. Similarly, Vidyanagari station on Central Railway is named after the neighbouring colony. Pestom Sagar is one of the oldest colonies and has existed since the 1960s. A Metro station named after it will enhance its identity.” Thakare added that Pestom Sagar was salt pan land owned by a Parsi family, therefore named as Pestom.
The forum chairman, Dr Sandip Rane said there is a certain sentiment of self.pride involved in this and that the residents would like to proudly state the station is a part of their locality.
The MMRDA is constructing Metro Line 4 (Wadala to Kasarvadavali) at a cost of Rs 14,549 crore. This elevated corridor will have 32 stations, providing connectivity to the Eastern Express Roadway, Central Railway, Mono Rail, the ongoing Metro Line 2B (D N Nagar to Mandale), and the proposed Metro Line 5 (Thane to Kalyan), Metro Line 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli) and Metro Line 8 (Wadala to General Post Office).
