Panvel-Mankhurd metro line needs Central aid

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) has begun ground work for improving connectivity between the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport and Mumbai.

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) has begun ground work for improving connectivity between the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport and Mumbai.

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The development body has now sought central assistance for building a 30-km metro line, from Panvel to Mankhurd, which will run via the proposed airport. This line is expected to connect with Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's under construction Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd metro network.

"This Panvel-Mankhurd metro line will considerably ease travel woes of those passengers travelling from the airport and Panvel to the western parts of city, thereby serving a major catchment area of traffic. The project will cost more than Rs8,000 crore and we will require support from the Centre for this project," a senior Cidco official said.

If the project gets the requisite financial aid from the Centre, residents from areas such as Borivli and Ghatkopar will be able to enjoy a comfortable and hassle-free ride in the metro straight till Panvel.

The work for metro's phase I (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar) and phase II (Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd) is currently under progress. However, the planning authority plans are restricted till Mankhurd.

Cidco too had floated plans of building a nine-route metro network but work on it was restricted till Vashi creek.

"There is still no clarity on who should build this connecting stretch of metro. We have asked the Centre to help us start the project," the official said.

Cidco has been building the metro lines with its own financial resources and not on a public-private partnership basis unlike the planning authority.