Kalyan metro a distant dream

Mumbai: Residents of Kalyan  will have to wait longer for Metro 5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan) as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is yet to acquire land in Kalyan. Thus, metro construction work will be done from Bhiwandi to Thane, sparing a three-km stretch leading to Kalyan, sources revealed. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to lay foundation stone of Metro 5 next week.

“We have floated tenders for the civil works of Metro 5, but the tenders are invited for construction from Kapurbawdi in Thane to Bhiwandi and not upto Kalyan. We are yet to acquire a land parcel in Kalyan for the car depot of line 5. Thus, the stretch upto Kalyan will be taken up later, the corridor will be thrown open from Bhiwandi and it will connect to Metro 4 from Kapurbawdi in Thane,” said a senior official from MMRDA.

He further added, “Metro 5 will have to use the car shed of Metro 4 (Wadala-Kasarvadavali) till the land is acquired.” According to reports, the authorities have mulled to acquire a private land in Thane for Metro 4 car shed. Metro 4 will connect line 5 at Kapurbawdi in Thane.

According to officials, Mr Modi will carry out the groundbreaking ceremony of Metro 5 and Metro 9 (Dahisar-Mira Bhayander) on December 18. The 24 km long corridor is expected to be operational by 2021 with a ridership of 2.25 lakh passengers per day. There are 17 stations planned along the corridor including Kapurbawdi, Balkum Naka, Kasheli, Kalher, Purna, Anjur Phata, Dhamankar Naka, Bhiwandi, Gopal nagar, Temghar, Rajnouli village, Gove Gaon MIDC, Komgaon, Durgadi fort, Sahajhanand chowk, Kalyan station, Kalyan APMC etc. The project cost of the corridor is `8,416 crore.

Meanwhile, the authorities had faced stiff opposition from shop owners and residents of Bhiwandi against Metro 5 since the elevated corridor will raze nearly 1,500 shops and houses, claim locals.