MMRDA struggles to acquire more land for Metro 6 stations

MMRDA faces land acquisition challenges for Metro 6 stations and girders. Forest clearance awaited, private land acquisition in progress. Construction underway.

MUMBAI: It’s not just the Kanjurmarg depot where the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) requires land for Metro 6. The planning agency is struggling to procure railway land of over 3,000 square metres to set up stations and install girders for this metro line connecting Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli. In fact, by July MMRDA is expected to get clearance from the forest department for a plot of 1,798 square metres.

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Substantial works on this elevated metro line are completed, yet the fact is that MMRDA is struggling to procure land at five locations along the alignment. Sources in MMRDA said that these locations broadly fall under Jogeshwari (W), near IIT Bombay in Powai, Kanjurmarg and near the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and Saki Vihar near Larsen & Toubro.

“All land acquisition discussions are at an advanced stage,” said an MMRDA official. “The forest clearance for 1,798 square metres of private land at the junction of the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) and EEH is under process in the forest department. We expect to get clearance by July 2024 after completing the procedure.”

According to sources, MMRDA is seeking private land of 695 square metres at Ghaswala Compound in Jogeshwari West. The land acquisition process is being concluded with the collector’s office. Apart from this, works for shifting high-tension (HT) power lines at Saki Vihar station near L&T are under way.

The officials explained that the work of raising HT lines is under way, for which the process of getting an NOC from the BMC and other concerned authorities is on. MMRDA is also carrying out the resettlement and rehabilitation of affected hutments in the locality.

For the construction of one entry/exit point at IIT station on Metro 6, MMRDA will require 346 square metres from MTNL while the balance three entries and exits are under construction. For the works on Kanjurmarg station, land measuring 248 square metres is required from the defence ministry (navy).

“The proposal is under consideration at the naval headquarters for final disposal and is expected in a month’s time,” said another official from MMRDA.

The Maharashtra government handed over 15 hectares of land for the construction of Kanjurmarg Depot for Metro-6 in April 2023. In May 2023, MMRDA sought an additional seven hectares for allied activities, which is still under consideration. The planning agency has already approved a contractor for the construction of the depot at a cost of ₹509 crore. The work will include building the boundary wall, earthwork filling, construction of the workshop, inspection bay, stabling lines, automatic washing plant and an operations and control centre.

MMRDA has also submitted a proposal for laying girders over railway lines of both Central and Western Railways. Sources said that currently all piling works had been completed, and pile cap excavation works were going on. The final design approvals are expected by October this year, after which launching of the girders can be expected, for which mega blocks will be carried out.

The 16-km elevated line will traverse the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, connecting Vikhroli to Lokhandwala and intersecting above the railway tracks on Central Railway and Western Railway. A total of 18 rakes of six cars each will be used for train operations on this corridor.