Underground Metro-3 plan awaits nod

The Revised Draft Development Plan 2034 of BMC has highlighted another major loophole in the form of the proposed Metro-3 corridor underground station at Flora Fountain. In addition, the heritage committee approval for the project is also pending.

RDDP 2034 has already marked an underground railway station at Flora Fountain for the Metro-3 corridor. Officials on the other hand, claimed that the issue isn’t as glaring as the approval is in the process and wouldn’t pose any harm to the heritage structure.

For its proposed underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz corridor, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), in third phase, is to connect Cuffe Parade business district, located in the extreme south to corporate clusters of Bandra and SEEPZ in the suburban Mumbai. However out of the 26 underground stations, proposed to be built for the 33.5km long line, one at Flora Fountain is to be built below the heritage structure with its exit and entry points to be built away from the structure.

However, the urban city planners have raised their concerns as the metro line 3 station is allegedly yet to receive a nod from the Heritage Committee of the civic body which is mandatory to start the construction. “According to our knowledge, no heritage structure is marked in RDDP 2034 and the explanation given to that is that the list will be updated later. Ironically, even if the list of structures is to be updated, projects, which are yet to receive nod from the heritage committee, have found their place on the RDDP 2034 city maps,” said Pankaj Joshi from Urban Design Research Institute that is studying RDDP 2034.

MMRC officials on the other hand mentioned that the approval is only a procedural hiccup.

“We do need to take the approval from the committee but even if it’s not available today, it’s only a part of the procedure. We will adhere to the suggestions made by the committee and no part of the construction will even scratch the surface of the structure,” said S K Gupta Director (Projects) MMRC.

He refused to comment on the project being marked on RDDP 2034 without the heritage committee’s approval.

Ramnath Jha, officer on special duty, RDDP 2034 was unavailable for any further comment.