DN Nagar-Mankhurd line will congest suburbs: IIT

Mumbai: An IIT report cited by resident groups stated that the Metro 2B (DN Nagar to Mankhurd) corridor is not feasible for an elevated metro line and the proposed line should be constructed underground. According to the report, the line will add to the congestion at SV Road in western suburbs and also affect education institutions which come along the alignment. Residents from Vile Parle, Bandra, Khar and Santacruz are up in arms against the proposed corridor. The resident groups are holding a protest on Friday, demanding that the corridor should be underground and not elevated.

A Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) official said, “We had given a chance to the citizens to make suggestions in 2011-12. We cannot go for an underground metro line because it will be three times more costly than the present cost of the project.”

The report states, “The 90 feet-wide S.V. Road, where there is no possibility of any expansion, the traffic problem is increasing day-by-day, and with this elevated Metro, it will create a tremendous problem and cause further inconvenience to the common man.”  The residents point out that on every 1km stretch there will be a station, which will obstruct their windows and deprive homes of sunlight and ventilation. “The IIT report clearly states that the line shouldn’t be elevated but should be constructed underground. We had submitted the report in 2009. Now the things have gone even worse,” said Nitin Killawala, who is among the residents who are opposing the proposed line.

Further, the report states that there are a large number of schools, colleges, hospitals and other institutions on the stretch through which the government proposes to construct elevated Metro.  The report warns that it will cause huge disturbance to students, patients and residents and lead to noise pollution and congestion. “We are in the process of taking legal action, multiple PILs will be filed on different issues faced by the residents along the route,” added Mr Killawala.

Pros and cons of underground and elevated metro

Pros
Underground Metro has the ability to connect even narrower roads and dense neighbourhoods

The underground metros are not affected by such compulsions. Soil substrate is formed below 12 to 18-metre depth in Mumbai city.

Cons
Population growth, shifting business hubs and new educational institutes in western suburbs are coming up. Therefore its impact on fragile infrastructure especially road network will be detrimental and irreversible.

Many sharp turns and curves on all roads necessitate elevated tracks at 16 places. The elevated tracks are planned at a lower radius of 110 meter to 120 meter, thus reducing the speed of Metro to less than half against planned speed.