Land next to the intersection of Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and Eastern Express Highway in Kanjurmarg has been recommended for setting up a car depot, instead of the Aarey Milk Colony. And, there is a likelihood of the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro corridor now getting extended right up to Kanjurmarg due to this possible change in car depot location.
A committee formed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in March was to look into alternatives to Aarey Milk Colony for car depot after residents and environmentalists opposed Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation’s (MMRC) plan of having a depot there. dna was the first to report on this on July 13.
Sources said that on Wednesday the committee’s report was submitted to the Urban Development Department, which will forward it to Fadnavis for a final decision on the location.
If it’s decided to shift the car depot to Kanjurmarg, as per the committee’s recommendation, then the entire Metro route will be extended by around six kilometres to Kanjurmarg with stations in between, including one at IIT, Powai.
“This will also increase the project cost by around Rs1,800 crore to Rs2,000 crore as the line will be elevated. Funding may be arranged from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is already financing the underground line,” said a senior state official.
As per the initial Metro master plan, Seepz-Kanjurmarg Metro was line six. “The government is serious about implementing all Metro corridors. Therefore, it shouldn’t take much time to come up with bids, if Kanjurmarg is decided on,” said the official.
Sources said the existing tenders being evaluated at the moment will not be delayed due to the alterations in the project as the contract is up to Seepz and a separate contract was floated for the extension inside Aarey colony and car depot.
The alternatives were Aarey Milk Colony, Backbay Reclamation, Kanjurmarg, Wadala, Bandra-Kurla Complex, University of Mumbai campus in Kalina, and racecourse and reclamation in south Mumbai. As per the earlier development plan, Backbay Reclamation already has a reservation for a car depot for a railway line.
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