Soon, take a metro from south Mumbai to Thane

If all goes according to plan, in four years’ time, the journey from south Mumbai to interior regions of the Thane city may entail just a comfortable metro ride.

If all goes according to plan, in four years’ time, the journey from south Mumbai to interior regions of the Thane city may entail just a comfortable metro ride.

HT Image

With the state’s in-principle nod to the proposed metro corridor from Wadala to Kasarvadvali on Ghorbuner road in Thane, the project has inched closer to reality. The planning agency, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has prepared a detail project report (DPR) for the metro line.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday announced in the lower house of the state Assembly that the government was ready to take up the project. The proposal will now be sent to state and central departments for approval.

The Wadala- Kasarvadvali line will stretch across 30 km. There will be 10 metro stations in Thane itself and 28 in all. It stands to benefit thousands of commuters who shuffle between Thane and Mumbai daily.

Sources said that the MMRDA has decided to develop the corridor on a cash-contract scheme, after consultation with the state urban development department. So while the state, the central government and the Thane Municipal Corporation will fund a part of the project, a chunk of the amount would be raised through loans. (see box for details)

The MMRDA will approach the union urban development ministry and the public investment board (PIB) to get loans from international agencies such as the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The MMRDA will have to get state cabinet committee’s approval to seek TMC’s contribution for the project.
Speaking to HT, MMRDA commissioner UPS Madan said, “We expect the project to be ready in three years from when actual work begins.” Sources said the construction is likely to begin in one-and-a-half years.