Kanjurmarg reserved only for Metro VI, not for Metro III, HC told
Putting all the arguments at rest, the Maharashtra government on Thursday for the first time said that the site at Kanjurmarg is only reserved for the car shed of Metro VI line which would connect Lokhandwala and Kanjurmarg through Jogeshwari and Vikhroli. The government further clarified that it would not be ‘feasible’ for it to shift the car shed for the controversial Metro III line back to Kanjurmarg, where it was initially proposed.
A bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre was also informed that the demand of all the green activists to shift the Metro III car shed at Kanjurmarg cannot be accepted as it is not ‘workable.’
Senior counsel Shrihari Aney, arguing on behalf of the government, said, “The land at Kanjurmarg was initially reserved for both Metro VI and Metro III lines. However, after a report from the technical committee, we decided to shift the Metro III car shed at Aarey.”
“The technical committee had first recommended to have both the car sheds at Kanjurmarg because it thought both the lines would be integrated but then it was informed of the litigation going on over a piece of land. It was only then that the committee asked us to shift Metro III car shed to Aarey,” Aney pointed out.
At this, CJ Nandrajog asked Aney to clarify if a solution can be brought about on this aspect of the case. “Can you still consider the demand of the activists?” CJ Nandrajog questioned.
The query was instantly responded in a negative with Aney saying, “No. We can’t have two car sheds at one place as the site is already for Metro VI and now physical planning has been done so it would not work out.”
“Also the fact that Kanjurmarg is at least 10 kilometres away from Aarey. So we cannot ferry passengers of Colaba and SEEPZ to Kanjurmarg. We cannot think of ferrying hundreds of passengers on a daily basis to a different line at Kanjurmarg,” Aney argued.
In his submissions, Aney pointed out that ferry passengers to Kanjurmarg on a daily basis would cost heavy on the state exchequer.
“We also cannot lose sight of the fact that if shifted at Kanjurmarg, there would be a huge traffic as double vehicular traffic would then head towards Kanjurmarg, both from Colaba (Metro III) as well as from Lokhandwala (Metro VI). Thus, this is an economic decision of the government,” Aney justified.