The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) told the Bombay High Court on Friday that the Kanjurmarg plot was better suited for the Metro car shed than the former site in Aarey colony.
The MMRDA, in its reply, filed before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni said the plot — admeasuring 102 acres from survey number 275 of the village of Kanjur — is required for constructing the car shed for Metro lines 3, 4 and 6 and an interchange station for the proposed line 14 with line 6.
Senior advocate Darius Khambata, who represented the MMRDA, told the court that studies conducted by experts showed that the Kanjurmarg plot was better suited for the Metro shed than the plot in Aarey.
Mr. Khambata said, “An expert committee conducted a detailed study and due deliberations were done to finalise the new plot.”
The advocate said the Aarey plot was much smaller and could be used for only one Metro line, while the one in Kanjurmarg can accommodate four car sheds.
The MMRDA was responding to the plea filed by the Union government, challenging the order by the Mumbai Suburban District Collector allocating the plot in Kanjurmarg for the Metro car shed. The Centre had said the Kanjurmarg plot belonged to its Salt Department. Mr. Khambata said the Union government has no reason to object to where the State government chooses to construct the car shed.
The agency, in its reply, said, “For developing the composite Metro car shed, MMRDA has commenced work on the project land of survey, soil investigation, landfilling, drainage, barricading, peripheral roads, etc. pursuant to the handover of advance possession of the project land and has in fact provisioned an amount of ₹27 crore till date, in carrying out such operations on the land.”
The hearing on the matter will continue on April 7.