Metro-4 car shed plan shifts from Owale to Mogharpada
The plan to build a car shed at Owale for Metro-4, which will connect Wadala to Kasarvadavli in Thane, has changed.
The car shed will now be built at Mogharpada.
The authorities said the plot was de-reserved as the acquisition of Owale plot was difficult and expensive as the land had many private plots and also coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) limitation.
However, sources said with the area developing as a real estate hub, the plot must have been left vacant to benefit developers.
The work on Wadala to Kasarvadavli Metro started in Thane from July 21. The Metro-4 is a 32.32km route, of which, 10.87km is in Thane.
The city will have 11 out of the 32 stations. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had reserved a plot at Owale for a car shed.
The state urban development department has decided to shift the car shed for the Metro project from Owale to Mogharpada on Ghodbunder Road.
A TMC official said, “Owale land has many residential plots and also those owned by private players. It also comes under CRZ so we cannot carry out construction activity.”
“Acquiring the plot will be expensive and a time-consuming process. The plot in Mogharpada is a government land and so the problems will be resolved.”
The authorities hit a hurdle as the cost of acquiring private land was huge. So, a circular to de-reserve the land was issued recently. Moreover, the Owala land has lot of real-estate potential.
Sources said there was pressure from developers, who wanted the plot for real estate projects.
In 2011, MMRDA zeroed in on a 30 hectares plot in Owale village for a car shed for the Metro project.
They approached the corporation for de-reservation of the plot.
The plot was reserved as a green zone and the corporation decided to de-reserve the plot.
The plot also had farms and private lands.
Green activists opposed the car shed plan as the plot had more than 10,000 trees.
A local activist, requesting anonymity, said, “Land owners, developers and politicians lobbied hard to not use the Owale land for car shed. The land has real estate potential. Some farmers too had protested against the proposed car shed at the plot. The authorities must have bowed down to pressure.”
A top officer from MMRDA confirmed the de-reservation. “We have shifted the car shed plan from Owale to Mogharpada.”
“The Mogharpada land is government owned and so easy to acquire.”
