Primary concerns raised by the locals affected by the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro Rail (Orange Line; Metro 5) are loss of livelihood and lack of compensation from the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA). These were raised during the public consultation meeting organised by the development authority on Friday in Thane.
Shops demolished two years back, not paid for the loss
“Due to Metro 5 work, several shops in Bhiwandi had to discontinue their business. They were demolished over two years ago and we are unable to sustain ourselves. Our point is who will pay for our loss?” asked Yogesh Shete, one of the Project Affected Persons (PAPs) and a resident of Bhiwandi. He said there are about 250 people attached with the business whose livelihood has been impacted. “The MMRDA should support us and get us out of this situation,” he said.
Shete claimed that he has made several visits to the MMRDA office, but the attitude has been of indifference. “We have had our shops for the last 40 years and our documents are in order, yet we were termed ineligible for compensation. The question arises if the government is trying to usurp our land in the name of development,” Shete said.
PAPs suffering after businesses shut
Mohammad Yusuf Abdul Sattar Shaikh, another PAP said, “My father is 83 years old and he had the shop for the last 45 years but it was demolished and compensation is being paid for some other person whom we don’t know. As my father is elderly and cannot make umpteen visits to the MMRDA’s offices, we are in a deadlock and the officials do not answer our queries. We want the officials to look into it on priority so that rightful PAPs are paid the compensation.”
No details provided on projects environmental impact
Environmentalist Debi Goenka, who attended the consultation programme, added that no details have been provided either on MMRDA’s website or at the construction sites on what environmental impact the project will have and how many trees will be axed.
To the multiple points raised, all that the MMRDA officials had to say was that they will look into them on an urgent basis. The officials also took cognisance of the change in the name of 14-15 beneficiaries and it has been referred to the Grievance Redressal Committee.
Given the stiff opposition that the 24.9km line is facing, the MMRDA was forced to call the meeting to understand the concerns of locals. The construction work on the project formally took off on December 18, 2018.
