This corridor will have to be extended by 4 km if the route is extended up to Uttan, where a land to set up the Metro depot can be developed in Khopra village. (Representational/File)The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will carry out a feasibility study for a proposal on extending the Metro 9 corridor (Dahisar-Bhayander) from the current depot location to Uttan by 4 km. The extension of the corridor has been proposed after protests by local farmers whose land was to acquired for the depot.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a review meeting on the construction of the Metro car depot on Monday after local residents of Rai Gaon, Morve and Murdha opposed the land acquisition process for the Metro 9 depot. The MMRDA had earmarked around 32 hectares of land for depot. Currently, the final station of Metro 9 is Netaji Subhash Chandra Chowk in Bhayander. This corridor will have to be extended by 4 km if the route is extended up to Uttan, where a land to set up the Metro depot can be developed in Khopra village.
During the meeting, Ashok Patil, a representative from the villages of Rai Gaon, Morve and Murdh, said the farmers have been growing crops on the land earmarked for the depot for ages. If their land is allotted for the depot, the farmers will have no other means of earning a livelihood.
MLA Pratap Sarnaik, who was also present at the meeting, said, “If the Metro route is extended up to Uttan, it will give also give a boost to tourism… it will be beneficial as the Global Vipasana Centre is also located in the vicinity.”
Sarnaik said the Revenue Department has acres of land in the area, which can be used to build the Metro car shed. If the rest of the land is developed, the area will be developed accordingly and MMRDA can also earn some revenue, he said. Fadnavis has sought MMRDA survey report within a week.