The metropolitan commissioner has emphasised that the car shed’s ground level will be at an elevation higher than both the Eastern Express Highway and the nearby flood level.
The 15.3-km-long line will provide an important east-west connectivity stretch for the suburban commuters.
As progress continues on the construction of the Kanjurmarg depot for Metro-6, Sanjay Mukherjee, the metropolitan commissioner, has emphasised that the car shed’s ground level will be at an elevation higher than both the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and the nearby flood level.
Further, according to metropolitan commissioner, the land for the car shed has been planned outside the Coastal Regulation Zone area to ensure compliance with regulations.
The explanation is in response to a complaint filed by environmentalist Debi Goenka with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
The complaint alleges that the Maharashtra government is trying to permit construction on salt pan lands that fall within the low tide line and the high tide line, which are categorised as CRZ IB.
It also raised concerns about another proposal for public housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the same area, stating that allowing such constructions could lead to developers rushing to develop Mumbai’s salt pan lands, reports Times of India.
To address potential challenges such as the presence of sea water underground and the anticipated effects of climate change, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) plans to take precautions during the implementation of the project.
These precautions include subsoil improvement, waterproofing, and ensuring that the depot ground level remains above the EEH and local flood levels.
The MMRDA is committed to ensuring the durability, resilience, and safety of the car shed infrastructure.
“Proper drainage arrangements will be ensured. These measures will ensure durability, resilience and safety of car shed infrastructure. We remain dedicated to delivering high-quality infrastructure that meets needs of public and contributes to development of region,” Sanjay Mukherjee said.
Construction Of Kanjurmarg Depot
According to earlier reports, subsequent to acquiring the necessary 15 hectare land, the MMRDA has initiated preliminary actions for the establishment of the car depot for the Metro Line-6 — connecting Swami Samarth Nagar, Jogeshwari, Vikhroli, and Kanjurmarg.
The authority has started surveying and demarcating the land boundaries.
The plot has been a subject of dispute for four years due to conflicting claims of land ownership by multiple government and private entities.
The development of the depot had encountered delays due to a recent contention with the Salt Commissioner’s office, which staked a claim to the ownership of the land.
However, the MMRDA has maintained that the plot of land falls under the jurisdiction of the state government, and there are presently no legal obstacles to its use for the depot.
The construction of metro depot will potentially ensure the completion of the corridor.
The overall Metro Line-6 is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 6,700 crore, with a target to be completed in next couple of years.
The 15.3-km-long line will provide an important east-west connectivity stretch for the suburban commuters.