Metro’s second line project may get derailed - Times of India - 17th Sept

Metro’s second line project may get derailed

Chittaranjan Tembhekar, TNN Sep 17, 2012, 06.19AM IST

MUMBAI: The 2016 deadline for the Metro's second line, even officials associated with it admit, is a will-o'-the-wisp, impossible to catch. Three years after then president Pratibha Patil attended a bhoomi pujan, launching the project, no work on it has begun. Indeed, such are the obstacles in its path that many believe Metro-II may end up a non-starter.

Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) got the task to build the 32-km elevated Metro line from Charkop to Mankhurd via Bandra in August 2010. The company was recently warned by MMRDA of action if it failed to start work at the earliest. But RInfra officials claim the reason for the delay is the government itself, which has been unable to obtain permissions and acquire land.

RInfra official point out that no environmental clearance has been received to build car depots on CRZ land in Mankhurd and Charkop, except on stilts, which is costly. Also, washing of cars at the depots, even if on stilts, has been prohibited. There are other problems. No land has been identified for the casting yard and the civil aviation ministry has not given its consent to the stretch near the Juhu airport.

"No rights have been awarded to commercially exploit the areas along the route, as per the agreement, because the government is yet to modify the development control regulations. Further, extra high voltage electricity networks at 13 locations have not been shifted," said a source.

Senior architect P K Das said building an elevated Metro in a city like Mumbai is an ill-conceived idea. "A dense, congested city, with high pollution and lack of open spaces, cannot afford an elevated route," he said. "Lessons should be learnt from Metro-I, where lack of space not only delayed the project but also put safety at risk. The government should immediately cancel the elevated Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro line and build it underground."

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-17/mumbai/33901972_1_metro-ii-rinfra-juhu-airport

MMRDA finds land for Metro II rake depot in Malwani - Mumbai Mirror - 22nd Sept

MMRDA finds land for Metro II rake depot in Malwani

Yogesh Naik - Posted On Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 04:37:52 AM

The Metro II project connecting Charkop and Mankhurd which was stuck due to environmental restrictions, will soon start moving as the MMRDA has identified a huge tract of land at Malwani near Malad for a rake depot. The development authority found it extremely difficult to set the project rolling due to the restrictions laid down by the Maharashtra Coastal Management Zone Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The Centre had clearly told MMRDA that mentioned that they cannot wash rakes or carry out repair works in the CRZ area. Senior officials from MMRDA and Mumbai suburban district collector Sanjay Deshmukh jointly inspected the 19 hectare plot at Malwani a fortnight ago. The issue was also discussed in a meeting with the Chief Secretary Jayant Banthia in Mantralaya. When contacted, MMRDA Joint Commissioner SVR Srinivas told Mumbai Mirror that they had moved a proposal for the land to the revenue department. “It is being processed. The Malwani plot does not come under the purview of the CRZ so it will be easier,” he said. MMRDA sources said that the Malwani plot is closer to Atharva College. “The collector has also shown willingness to hand it over,” an MMRDA official said. After finding it very difficult to set up a car depot in Charkop, the MMRDA has now zeroed on a plot in Malwani. The proposed depot was caught in the eye of a storm since the area was in mangroves. Costing around Rs 10,000 crore, the 31.87 km metro line connecting Charkop with Mankhurd via Bandra was initially to be completed in 2014. The contract was awarded to R-Infra and the MMRDA had signed a concession agreement in January 2010. “Both depot lands at Charkop and Mankhurd fall within CRZ, a fact which was not brought out by the MMRDA prior to award of the concession.  The state government has not been able to obtain either suitable dispensation from the MoEF, enabling the use of the land or finding alternate land for the car depots,” said a retired IAS officer. 1 / 1 http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20120922201209220438078208a83c966/MMRDA-finds-land-for-Metro-II-rake-depot-in-Malwani.html

MMRDA mum on trees felled for Metro project - Mumbai Mirror Sept 22

MMRDA mum on trees felled for Metro project

BMC accuses state infrastructure body of not providing information on replacement of green cover

Chaitanya Marpakwar

- Posted On Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 04:37:52 AM

Ever since work began on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro corridor in 2008, Mumbai's green cover has shrunk by 900 trees. However, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, which is undertaking the rapid transit system, seems to have little idea about its plan to compensate for the trees chopped. The BMC's tree authority, the apex body for matters pertaining to trees in the city, has accused the MMRDA of ignoring its requests to provide information on the status of transplantation, and plantation of new trees. As per the rules laid down by the civic body, any person, organisation or government agency seeking to cut trees for infrastructure projects has to either transplant the uprooted trees or plant twice the number of trees chopped. With no information coming in from the state infra body for the past three months, BMC Commissioner Sitaram Kunte has stepped in to seek a detailed report in the matter. "I have written to the MMRDA asking it to furnish a report on the plantation and transplantation of trees undertaken by it as against the 900 trees claimed by the project. Since the tree authority had demanded the information, I have asked the MMRDA to submit its report," Kunte told Mumbai Mirror. At the same time, the tree authority has also decided not to grant any permission to cut trees till MMRDA complies with its request. "There were some MMRDA officials present for the tree authority meeting last week, but they couldn't give any concrete answers about the exact location and number of the trees planted," said tree authority member and BJP corporator Ameet Satam said. When asked why it took so long for the tree authority to seek the information, especially when the project had started way back in 2008, Satam said it was only after his induction into the tree authority in March 2012, he began reviewing the case and found the anomaly. Speaking to Mirror, an MMRDA official said that the agency would furnish a detailed report to the tree authority in a couple of days. "We have planted the trees in forest land, while some of the trees have been moved. We will submit our list to the tree authority soon."

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20120922201209220438058052713e3e9/MMRDA-mum-on-trees-felled-for-Metro-project.html