Construct Metro 2B underground: Citizen body to Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) to decide in 10 days a representation made by residents suffering due to the construction of the metro 2B that will connect the western and eastern suburbs.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagala was hearing a petition filed by H-west ward citizen trust about the Dahisar-Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd metro line, which is to be constructed above the ground, being unsafe.

The citizen trust in January this year approached the high court and claimed that the metro 3 line connecting south Mumbai and the western suburbs was fully underground and that the same should be followed in case of metro 2B as well.

The court then asked the petitioner to file a representation to the MMRDA.

On Thursday, the petitioner pointed out to the court that it had filed the representation on March 8 but had not received any reply till date. MMRDA counsel Kiran Bagalia told the court that a reply would be sent to the petitioner within ten days.

The court told the petitioner that it could not get into the issue of whether metro 2B should be underground or above the ground. The division bench asked the MMRDA to consider a representation made by H-west ward citizen trust on the issue within a period of 10 days.

The petitioner had also pointed out to the court that on March 20, a letter was sent to all concerned public authorities seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) to start work on the project.

MMRDA counsel Kiran Bagalia said a reply would be sent to the petitioner within ten days. Accepting the statement, Justice Oka said, “We cannot go into the issue of whether the line should be underground or above the ground.”

The court asked the MMRDA to decide on the representation and give its reply to the trust within ten days.