After MVA decision on Metro-3, citizens to submit a holistic plan for all metros

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday announced that the Metro-3 car depot would be constructed in Kanjurmarg along with the Metro-6 project, which stretches from Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli

Citizen groups will be submitting a plan to the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government demanding integration across Metro corridors after the latter took the decision to shift the phase three of the project, which stretches from Colaba to Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (Seepz) via Bandra.

Metro-3 Aarey car shed at Aarey colony. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced that the shed would be shifted to Kanjurmarg in Mumbai. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

The state government seeks to shift the corridor from Aarey to Kanjurmarg, an eastern suburb of Mumbai.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday announced that the Metro-3 car depot would be constructed in Kanjurmarg along with the Metro-6 project, which stretches from Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli.

Citizen groups had submitted a plan to the government last year to scrap the Metro-6 project. They had proposed an extension of the Metro-3 project by another six kilometres (km).

Nitin Killawala, a Mumbai-based architect, has suggested the route via Marol Naka, which crosses Saki Vihar and Chandiviki until Vikhroli on the Eastern Express Highway.

Citizen forums have been opposing the Metro-6 project over the Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, as it faces massive traffic snarls.

“All Metro projects are being constructed on arterial roads leading to utter traffic chaos. All these projects are also facing inordinate delays. Our plan is more holistic,” he added.

Killawala, along with resident groups from Powai and other architects and activists, will be presenting the plan in a webinar next week following which the MVA government will be approached.

Several citizen groups were active during the protest against the proposed Metro car shed at Aarey Colony in western suburbs. They were demanding scrapping of the project since Aarey Colony is one of the last surviving green belts in Mumbai.

On Sunday, Thackeray announced that the car shed would be shifted to Kanjurmarg.