No issues with Kanjurmarg plot for Metro 6: CM Shinde

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has begun the initial work of surveying and identifying the borders of the 15-hectare plot of land. An MMRDA official said that it would be gradually barricaded.

Mumbai: The primary work on the proposed 15-hectare Kanjurmarg depot meant for Metro 6 (from Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli) has begun. On Tuesday night, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made it clear that the land allocated by the Maharashtra government at Kanjurmarg was important for the project.

After environmental activists and citizens objected to the Metro 3 depot being constructed inside Aarey forest, the former Uddhav Thackeray-led government shifted it to Kanjurmarg and decided to have an integrated depot for Metro 3 and Metro 6. But the BJP central government’s intervention, bringing up an ownership dispute, stalled the plan. Later, the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra shifted the Metro 3 depot back to Aarey. (Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has begun the initial work of surveying and identifying the borders of the 15-hectare plot of land. An MMRDA official said that it would be gradually barricaded.

Recently, the office of the Salt Commissioner had claimed that the Kanjurmarg land proposed for Metro-6 belonged to it. However, sources in MMRDA said that the plot fell within the ambit of the state government and that there was no legal objection to it at this point of time. The state government had directed Mumbai’s suburban collector to hand over the plot for the depot construction.

When asked about the land issues, Shinde said, “The land at Kanjurmarg is important for the Metro 6 project and there are no issues with it. Our government will ensure that public money is not wasted due to delays.”

The elevated Metro Line 6 is over 65 percent complete.

After environmental activists and citizens objected to the Metro 3 depot being constructed inside Aarey forest, the former Uddhav Thackeray-led government shifted it to Kanjurmarg and decided to have an integrated depot for Metro 3 and Metro 6. But the BJP central government’s intervention, bringing up an ownership dispute, stalled the plan. Later, the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra shifted the Metro 3 depot back to Aarey.

However, the Metro 6 depot remained under dispute, with the Salt Commissioner objecting to the plan of acquiring 102 hectares of the Kanjurmarg land. The state government finally reached a decision and handed over a smaller plot of 15 hectares.