Future
metro lines in city may be underground
Ketaki Ghoge, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, February
13, 2013
The first corridor of the
Mumbai metro is likely to be the only elevated line, with the state planning to
build underground lines for the other proposed corridors. Despite the higher
cost involved in building
underground lines, the
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) does not want to build
elevated lines to avoid the problems of land acquisition, encroachment, traffic
dispersion, and the resulting delays in time and cost.
"Other than the
eastern suburbs, which have less congested areas, the ground realities of other
parts of the city are such that an underground metro would be the way
forward," said MMRDA chief Rahul Asthana.
The empowered
committee on Mumbai Makeover, chaired by chief secretary Jayant Kumar Banthia,
was also of the same view in its meeting in January.
While the first metro
corridor, Versova-Andheri-Ghatko-par, is expected to be open for public next
year, the contract for the second metro corridor, Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd, is
likely to get terminated due to delays. "If the contract is scra-pped, we
will consider extending this line to Dahisar. We will also rethink on the
decision to go elevated and chose a complete underground route," said a
senior government official.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Future-metro-lines-in-city-may-be-underground/Article1-1010862.aspx
