Control centre at Aarey Colony mooted

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has proposed construction of a centralised operational control centre (OCC) at Aarey Colony for all the proposed Metro corridors in the city. The purpose of constructing the control centre would be to manage the traffic functioning and internal communication for pilots of Metro corridors. The proposal sent is for requirement of a two-acre plot on permanent basis and has been sent to the urban development department (UDD) and Aarey dairy development board. The control centre would be used for communication of all the proposed metro corridors in the city.

Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “We have sent the proposal to UDD and Aarey dairy development board requesting a plot measuring two acres inside Aarey colony for construction of the control centre. However, I am assuring that no trees would be cut for construction of the control centre.”

The Aarey colony is the only left green cover in the city and acts as a buffer to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The location of Aarey Colony is mired in controversy with environmentalists challenging the construction of a Metro car depot in the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The Metro car depot is part of the proposed Colaba-Bandra-Seepz underground Metro-3 corridor being executed by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC).

 Earlier, the MMRDA had proposed construction of a labour camp inside Aarey colony. “The proposal for construction of labour camp and a control centre are different. The proposal now is for acquiring two-acre land on permanent basis. While, the request for acquiring two-acres land for labour camp is for temporary basis,” added Mr Darade. Nathu Rathod, chief executive officer, Aarey colony, said, “The proposal is at the secretary level for now. I will conduct a survey and conclude whether the construction of control centre for metro is feasible or not.”  

The MMRDA has proposed to construct a network of 172-km-long Metro corridors in the MMR.