The Kanjurmarg Chaos- Exposing the Ego that hurt Maharashtra and Project Practicality

The News on 15/4/2023 said, “15 ha of 43 ha land in Kanjurmarg to be handed over to MMRDA for Metro Line 6 by Collector, Mumbai Suburban District”.

While this vindicates our stand of shifting Aarey Car Depot to Kanjurmarg, there are a few more layers to understand and wonder why Maharashtra has been hated so much by this current unconstitutional government and it's stakeholders.

1) The said Kanjurmarg land is the same plot for which tenders were invited and cancelled thrice during 2018-2019 by MMRDA for Metro Line 6.

2) As soon as the MVA Government decided to relocate Aarey depot to Kanjurmarg, the Salt Commissioner (Govt. of India) and a private individual laid claim on the same land, taking it into litigation, stalling the car depot process for almost 2 years.

The Govt of Maharashtra has always claimed the land belongs to the State, as against claims by the other parties, nonetheless, it also offered compensation, if at all it lost the title in a civil dispute in an extreme scenario.

A few months ago, under the regime of the unconstitutional government, the case was closed as all litigants withdrew their claims.?

I wonder, what suddenly happened, that everyone decided to cooperate so beautifully.

3) The MVA Government led by Uddhav Thackeray ji had planned an integrated Metro car depot for Metro Lines 3, 4, 6, 14.?

This integrated car depot would mean, all 4 car depots in one place, therefore no additional land acquisition cost for other 3 depots, and construction cost only for one integrated servicing hub.

The integration would save land acquisition cost of almost ?10,000 crores, along with time of construction and place all services in one place.

4) The integrated car depot, along with Metro Bhavan (Command & Control for all Metro Line operations) being in one place would be better for management as well.

However, now with a different government, that is anti environment, and in light of all litigations closed, we need to understand what is happening and what its long term impact be:

1. Relocating the car depot to Aarey Forest again was the first decision of the Unconstitutional Government, and now the MMRCL has apparently asked for permission to cut more trees. Several studies and reports have proved that Aarey is a forest, more so, the depot can only be used for the next 10-15 years, beyond which, another depot will be needed, as it will reach its peak estimated capacity.
2. 15 hectares is being given to Metro Line 6, but we don’t know which builder/ contractor will be awarded the remaining land parcel in the plot of 43 hectares, by this unconstitutional government that is dictated terms to by its favourite builders and contractors.
3. Land acquisition for car depots 4 and 14 is in process, in Thane district. One wonders who really owns/ benefits from the lands that are being acquired.?The cost will be around ?5000 crores and construction cost, thereafter.
4. Practically, the trains will have to run back to far- off car depot locations, each day, to the other side of the Metro Line everyday to park and be cleaned, instead of an integrated depot. 4 Depots at 4 different ends, means waste of time and energy, instead of having it in one integrated depot.

While the integrated depot as planned and being executed by us would have:

a) Connected over 3.5 crore people in MMR region through one nodal point in Kanjurmarg, giving each metro line, adequate interoperability, also giving it a common hub for servicing and maintenance operations.

This would be better for citizens using the Metro, as well as for the Metro Management and servicing team.

b) The systems, rails, signalling and every aspect of all 4 lines match, to be able to have seamless interoperability, allowing people to be connected and travel easily, without much hassle of changing of Metros, to travel in any direction.

c) More than ?10,000 crores of land cost, construction cost and time would have been saved.

d) Kanjurmarg integrated depot, would also be connected to road transport due to its ideal location as a nodal point for multi-modal transport.

One thing for us to be happy with, our call to construct the integrated car depot was right and in the best interest of our State.

Somethings for us all to ponder on:

1. Which builder will now try to take the rest of the Kanjurmarg land??
2. Why is this anti- environment government keen to help contractors by having 4 car depots constructed??
3. Why spend ?10,000 crores on land acquisition and who gains from this acquisition process??
4. Most importantly, for whose ego did the Salt Commissioner of the Union Government act, litigate and stop the integrated metro car depot, simply to harass the state of Maharashtra and stop this work of public interest??