Mumbai: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the proposed ‘elevated’ corridor of Metro II B line that connects Andheri to Makhurd. The PIL seeks directions to the Metro authority to construct an underground line instead of an elevated one.
The PIL filed by Ajeet Manya, Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mumbai has challenged the elevated corridors. His PIL bats for a full-fledged underground line citing the space issues. In his PIL filed through advocate Ameet Mehta, Manyal has said, “The Line II B has been planned as an elevated corridor and runs for 23.643 km from DN Nagar in Andheri to Mandale near Mankhurd. The route where this corridor is to run is...
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heavily loaded and connects market places, residential areas central business district like the Bandra-Kurla-Complex (BKC).”
“The capacity of the road is much less than the demand. Also, there are several hurdles especially for the elevated corridor such as passing through the air funnel zone of Juhu airport, rail tracks at Bandra and Kurla, flyovers at Western and Eastern Express Highways, Mithi river, Mono rails, Eastern Freeway,” the petition reads.
Manyal has claimed that a thorough scrutiny of the proposed plan reveals that the line would run at a distance of hardly a meter away from residential and other public buildings. He has also claimed that the authorities have totally ignored the legal procedures by not inviting suggestions and objections from the public at large.
“It is submitted that the proposed elevated corridor is grossly fallacious, erroneous, unreasonable, unsound and unjustifiable in the context of public health, safety, right to privacy and right to property, better infrastructure and basic facilities and most importantly right to quality life, environment and welfare of the society as a whole,” the petition claims.
Manyal has also claimed that the authorities are yet to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Airport Authorities of India since the corridor would also pass through the Juhu Airport area which has certain height restrictions. The PIL was mentioned before a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Mahesh Sonak on Monday. The judges refused to grant an urgent hearing, however, said that the matter would be taken up in regular course.