Protest against elevated Metro 2B: 10,000 residents to form human chain in Santacruz on October 5

Pandit added that residents across professions and institutions staying in the Western suburbs will gather at the S V Road in Santacruz and form the chain. They had last protested against the alignment in 2017.

Pandit added that residents across professions and institutions staying in the Western suburbs will gather at the S V Road in Santacruz and form the chain. (Representational Image)

AS many as 10,000 residents between Bandra and Andheri are expected to form a human chain to mark their protest against the elevated construction of Metro 2B line from D N Nagar to Mankhurd on October 5. As residents demand an underground Metro line, claiming it is better suited along the stretch, they are expected to stage a protest on the S V Road in Santacruz.

Residents of Juhu Vile Parle Development (JVPD) Cooperative Housing Association, Gulmohar area society welfare group and the Balabhai Nanavati Hospital in the city have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court to oppose the proposed alignment of the Metro 2B line, being executed by the Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).The petitioners sought for the line to be constructed underground, similar to the Metro 3 Colaba-Bandra-Seepz line. However, the MMRDA, in its affidavit to the court, said the benefits of an elevated Metro line are more than an underground line, in terms of finance and time.

“The traffic in the Western suburbs has increased by 15 per cent. An elevated Metro does not have features like inter-connectivity and expandability. While we tried to approach the Chief Minister with this issue, we are yet to be heard,” said Ashoke Pandit from Gulmohar society.

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Pandit added that residents across professions and institutions staying in the Western suburbs will gather at the S V Road in Santacruz and form the chain. They had last protested against the alignment in 2017.

“We will hold a silent protest between 1 and 3 pm. We will join hands and display our protest against the line,” Pandit added.

According to the resident groups, constructing Metro underground would be cost-effective and decongest the western suburbs, which according to them, cannot see any additional construction of pillars for an elevated line. The groups have raised concerns over the permissible height level of the line at a stretch in Juhu and if passengers aboard the Metro can be safely evacuated during emergencies.

“We demand to know why the executing authority is adamant on elevating the Metro line when there are clear lapses on the part of permissions and safety,” said Nitin Kilawalla, a Juhu resident.

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In its affidavit to the court, the MMRDA had earlier said that construction of an elevated line would be completed in four years as compared to six years of an underground Metro line. The authority had said there would be a 5.5 times increase in the cost of the project per kilometre if it was constructed underground.

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