MMRDA rules out underground Metro-2B corridor
MMRDA in its affidavit said that the benefits of an elevated Metro line are more than an underground line in terms of finance and time.
Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has told the Bombay high court that after considering experts’ opinions, it has arrived at a decision to construct the Metro-2B line overground. Metro-2B line will connect the eastern and western suburbs.
On Friday, Bhushan Mhaiskar, executive engineer of MMRDA, filed its affidavit before the court which stated that “MMRDA and the state government has taken into consideration all the aspects of the project, including the pros and cons of underground and elevated Metro, and have taken a conscious decision to go for elevated Metro so far as Metro-2B and 2A lines are concerned.”
An affidavit was filed before division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagala in the petition filed by the Juhu Vile Parle Development Co-operative Housing Association, the Gulmohar area society welfare group, and the Balabhai Nanavati Hospital in the city opposing the proposed alignment of the Metro-2B line.
Petitioners are seeking that Metro-2B line should be constructed underground similar to the Metro 3 Colaba-Seepz line.
However, the MMRDA in its affidavit said that the benefits of an elevated Metro line are more than an underground line in terms of finance and time.
“It is not possible to make Metro-2B line partly underground and partly elevated as it entails huge land requirement for location of facilities for going underground and coming over ground. Such land is not available,” the affidavit said.
“The construction of underground Metro takes over six years, while an elevated line can be completed within four years. Besides the time factor, the cost is more than 5.5 times. An elevated Metro line costs Rs 95 crore per kilometre, whereas an underground line costs Rs 540 crore per kilometre,” MMRDA said.
The petitioners cannot decide whether the Metro line should be underground or elevated as it a “highly technical issue” requiring scientific experience, it added.
Meanwhile, the court has posted the petition for further hearing on July 13.