Go ahead for Metro

STATE GOVT GIVES NOD TO 2 METRO CORRIDORS

Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved two metro rail corridors—DN Nagar to Mankhurd and Wadala to Kasarvadavli—with a total investment of Rs 25,535 crore.

The 23.5-km DN NagarBandra-Mankhurd (Metro2B Corridor) is estimated to cost Rs 10,986 crore and 32km Wadala-GhatkoparThane-Kasarvadavli (Metro4 corridor) would entail investment of Rs 14,549 crore.

Officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said the two corridors will be operational by 2021-22. “The expected daily ridership on Metro 2B is 8,00,099 commuters in 2021 while Metro 4 is expected to have daily ridership of 8,70,000 commuters in 2021-22,” a statement from MMRDA read. MMRDA officials added the upcoming Metro projects will not only save fuel and time, but also help decongest roads.

MMRDA will carry out the civil work while the state and Center will share 50 per cent of the loan component and Asian Development Bank and World Bank will provide the rest of the loan component. Maharashtra government officials approved the fare structure for the two corridors, which will be in the range of Rs 10 to Rs 80. Up to three kilometres the fare will be Rs 10 and over 42 km, the fare will be Rs 80.

Corridor 2B will have interchanges at DN Nagar with Metro corridor one, Bandra suburban railway station and at Monorail station at Chembur, while corridor 4 will have interchanges at Monorail station at Wadala and at Kurla Eastern Express Highway station of corridor 2B.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to lay the foundation stone for the projects on his visit to Mumbai in October. In October 2015, Modi had laid foundation stones the two Metro corridors – one 18-km Dahisar - DN Nagar and the other 16.5 km Dahisar (East) - Andheri (East), which are under construction now.