Mumbai Metro line-3 trial run begins at Aarey; know details
The Metro line 3, which will be a 33.5 km underground route, will connect south Mumbai with the western suburbs and is expected to reduce the burden on the suburban locals.
Total Views |
Mumbai, August 30: Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) on Tuesday, launched the trial run of the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro line-3 at Sariput Nagar in Aarey Colony in Mumbai.
Before giving the green signal, Shinde and Fadnavis inspected the Metro train from inside.
CM Shinde said that the metro would bring relief to the city which relies heavily on local trains which are over-crowded. He also said that the first order they gave after their government was formed was to resume the metro shed work. “We are the people’s government. We are a government that focuses on infrastructure," he said.
Fadnavis said, “In my opinion, the ongoing opposition to the Metro line-3 project is more political than for environmental reasons.” “Nearly 17 lakh people will travel daily on this line once it is operational. With the commencement of this line, nearly seven lakh vehicles will go off road. It will definitely support the environmental cause,” he said.
He said, “The previous government tried to shift the car shed to Kanjurmarg. Irrespective of shifting it to Kanjurmarg, it was necessary to create some infrastructure here at Aarey.
In 2014, the Metro-3 car shed was first proposed at Aarey by then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, which was challenged by local NGO Vanshakti in the Bombay High Court, with a plea to prevent cutting of trees in the area.
Fadnavis, who had succeeded Chavan, went ahead with the same site. But, green activists opposed the cutting of trees in Aarey for the car shed.
After the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance came to power in 2019, the then CM Uddhav Thackeray reversed the decision, shifting the Metro-3 car shed to a site in the Kanjurmarg eastern suburb, but it was embroiled in a legal dispute.
The Thackeray Government had also declared Aarey as a reserved forest. Recently, CM Shinde and Fadnavis in their first Cabinet meeting overturned the previous Thackeray-led Government’s decision.
The Metro line-3 project is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency. Once completed, the line will connect Mumbai’s key financial hubs like Nariman Point, Bandra-Kurla-Complex, Fort, Worli, Lower Parel and Goregaon. The metro will provide first-time connectivity to the airport, Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Kalbadevi, Worli, BKC, Airport, SEEPZ etc.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the trial run at 11 am. On the occasion, Fadnavis said the opposition to the Metro line-3 project (car shed) was more political than for environmental reasons.
The Metro line 3, which will be a 33.5 km underground route, will connect south Mumbai with the western suburbs and is expected to reduce the burden on the suburban locals.
Before giving the green signal, Shinde and Fadnavis inspected the Metro train from inside.
CM Shinde said that the metro would bring relief to the city which relies heavily on local trains which are over-crowded. He also said that the first order they gave after their government was formed was to resume the metro shed work. “We are the people’s government. We are a government that focuses on infrastructure," he said.
Fadnavis said, “In my opinion, the ongoing opposition to the Metro line-3 project is more political than for environmental reasons.” “Nearly 17 lakh people will travel daily on this line once it is operational. With the commencement of this line, nearly seven lakh vehicles will go off road. It will definitely support the environmental cause,” he said.
Fadnavis recently directed State Advocate-General and the administration to submit a proposal on building the car shed in Aarey Colony, instead of Kanjurmarg which was chosen by previous Uddhav Thackeray-led State Government.
In 2014, the Metro-3 car shed was first proposed at Aarey by then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, which was challenged by local NGO Vanshakti in the Bombay High Court, with a plea to prevent cutting of trees in the area.
Fadnavis, who had succeeded Chavan, went ahead with the same site. But, green activists opposed the cutting of trees in Aarey for the car shed.
After the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance came to power in 2019, the then CM Uddhav Thackeray reversed the decision, shifting the Metro-3 car shed to a site in the Kanjurmarg eastern suburb, but it was embroiled in a legal dispute.
The Thackeray Government had also declared Aarey as a reserved forest. Recently, CM Shinde and Fadnavis in their first Cabinet meeting overturned the previous Thackeray-led Government’s decision.
The Metro line-3 project is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency. Once completed, the line will connect Mumbai’s key financial hubs like Nariman Point, Bandra-Kurla-Complex, Fort, Worli, Lower Parel and Goregaon. The metro will provide first-time connectivity to the airport, Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Kalbadevi, Worli, BKC, Airport, SEEPZ etc.