Elevated Metro-II plan flawed: Report
Nauzer K Bharucha, TNN Oct 3, 2011, 03.01AM IST
MUMBAI: Over one crore sq ft of built-up area, including 11 lakh sq ft of commercial space across 27 Metro stations between Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd in the proposed Metro phase 2 project, will create chaos in already-congested suburban localities, displace residents and eat up land reserved for public amenities.
A report against the overground Metro, prepared by urban experts, town planners and architects for Juhu Scheme Residents' Association and 32 NGOs and citizens' groups, was submitted to CM Prithiviraj Chavan last week. Residents and shopkeepers in the western suburbs between Bandra and Juhu have held demonstrations, demanding that the project be build underground.
''The elevated Metro-II in its present form is totally misconceived, impractical, and violative of laws and legislations. It exposes citizens to loss of privacy, health and fire hazards, insecurity, inconvenience, terrorist attacks as also disruption of existing utilities and infrastructure,'' it said.
The 32-km route will pass through the middle of arterial roads like Link Road starting from Marve Road up to Jay Prakash Road in Andheri (W), and then through 10th Road JVPD Scheme, SV Road at Vile Parle,
Santa Cruz (W), and Linking Road at Santa Cruz, Khar and Bandra (W). Each of the 27 Metro stations will have 43,000 sq ft of commercial space.
''These stations will come dangerously close to existing buildings on both sides,'' said the report. It added that the project will flout the minimum 20 feet open space requirement around the station, extending up to the existing compounds of adjacent private plots. ''It will obviously expose the life and property of citizens to fire risk and safety problems,'' it said.
Most roads on which the Metro will traverse are 90 feet wide with encroachments at several stretches. ''It was never contemplated to use these roads to erect huge structures and stations for an elevated Metro rail. On Link Road, vehicle speed drops to 8 to 9 kmph during peak hour and it takes almost two hours to travel between Bandra and Malad (W),'' said the report.
Massive columns with protective anti-crash devices will eat up two traffic lanes from the existing carriageway and lead to huge traffic congestion. ''Even fire engines and ambulances won't be able to ply,'' it said. Warning that the project will lead to mass displacement of people, the report said the alignment will require acquisition of properties at a heavy cost. ''There are about 8 to 10 such curves which will lead to massive displacement of people, which is obviously not desirable,'' the report added.
Besides, land which will be required for Metro rail yards are at present reserved for public amenities like schools, markets, recreation grounds, and playgrounds. These reservations are sought to be deleted to build the yards.
