Thursday Brief

Friends, specially who are from Mumbai will remember that few year back there was big controversy regarding building of Metro Car shed in Aarey for Mumbai Metro 3 , which is underground metro line covering a distance of approx 33 km from Colaba in South Mumbai to Seepz in West Mumbai. The controversy started when the green activist started protesting that Aarey is forest area hence no construction shall be permitted as it will adversely affect the environment. In this controversy all the major political parties jumped in, whereas contention of BJP  was Aarey area is being closest to the last station Seepz, and Aarey is not the forest areas there was many construction permitted in the area. But to the contrary , Shivsena who was part of alliance govt with BJP in state started backing environmentalist to score brownie points over BJP. For almost 2 years matter was in various courts and finally in 2019 Supreme Court gave the judgement and allowed the Metro Car shed to come  in Aarey.

But after the state  elections in 2019, the alliance between BJP and Shivsena collapsed on the issue of the post of CM. Then Shivsena formed the alliance with Congress and NCP, their alliance is called Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).. After they took over, the first thing Shivsena CM did was issued the order of stopping the work of Metro Car shed in Aarey. Further it was announced that the MVA govt will form a panel to look into the alternative site for car shed, at that time almost 60% of construction for car shed was over.

Yesterday former CM of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis created a  further row, by releasing excerpts from a report prepared by by an expert committee set up by present CM Uddhav Thackerey to suggest an alternative car shed. Quoting from this report, he said that the panel ruled out shifting the car shed to Kanjurmarg(the new proposed location where car shed of Metro line 6 is being constructed) on grounds that it would lead to ‘operational complexities’ and affect ‘operational efficiency’ of two metro lines. Significant changes will be needed in the line 6 viaduct if the line 3 depot is to be  located at Kanjurmarg, huge changes will be required in tender and contracts. Fadnavis further added, the report also mentions that if car shed is shifted for Metro 3  ‘just imagine the cascading impact on the various work fronts- like  revision of contracts for power supply ,overhead wiring, as these will have to be designed first and then contracts to be amended accordingly. This is going to end in late availability of depots and viaducts and late commissioning of rolling stock.

Fadnavis further drew the attention to the findings on likely impact on signalling and telecom contracts and automatic fare collection contracts. Modifications will entail huge cost implications.

As per present scenario, Fadnavis mentioned that 76% of tunnelling work of Metro 3 is complete, but there would be no car shed for next 4 to 5 years as the proposed site is almost 5 km away from last station on this Metro 3 line. The entire economics of Metro 3 line will collapse, and it will become financially unviable. The delay will mean rise in cost, and which would imply high cost of tickets, which will borne by consumers ultimately.

Since Metro 3 is being handled by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL), a joint venture between state and the Centre, and Metro line 6 is under the management of Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Authority (MMRDA). The panel feels that there will be lot of issue between two identities  in coordination and integration. Panel suggested if this happens then, ‘Administrative responsibility for revising, redesigning and constructing the necessary revision of Metro 6 would have to be transferred to MMRCL to ensure joint running is operationally possible between Kanjurmarg and Aarey.

Now it has so happened that MVA govt has not accepted the recommendation of this panel, which was appointed by them only. The ex CM also mentioned that the Kanjurmarg site was earlier also considered for car shed when the cases were in HC & SC, but that time it was found that the parcel of land was under  litigations in  various court. But some officials countered this narrative saying that land under litigation was not the same as the one handed over for the car shed.

In my opinion, everything connected to Metro line 3 is turning hazier and hazier and there is no clarity about the project. The MVA govt should come out with clarifications on the matters like what will the additional cost for Metro line 3, the project is already delayed by almost 2 years because of various court cases and how much more delay will happen. Now if the panel report is saying that they are not in favour of shifting car shed for various cited reasons, then also MVA govt is shifting the car shed, then I feel that it is the ego of Shivsena leaders which is acting now because when the issue was started Shivsena opposed the car shed in Aarey and SC allowed the car shed to be in Aarey, which Shivsena never liked it and said if they come to power they will not permit this.

I am surprised why Congress and NCP are keeping quiet, as when they were power in Maharashtra pre Oct 2015, the Metro 3 line was announced during that time and from the beginning the car shed was planned in Aarey. Some times I feel that it was a created controversy to malign BJP in Maharashtra, otherwise there have been enough construction permitted earlier also in Aarey.

So, the end sufferer because of this will be Mumbaikar, who will have to bear with this for next 3 to 4 years, till both Metro 3 and Metro 6 lines are completed.

Awaiting your feed backs/comments/views.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

15^th Oct 2020.