From the day Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro corridor was included in the revised Mumbai Metro rail master plan, problems had begun to crop up. Objection was first raised by none other than 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan (who is credited with constructing Delhi Metro). It was DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) which had prepared the initial Mumbai Metro Rail master plan, which was later revised by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
Why had Metro Man opposed the route?
Sreedharan, in a letter to MMRDA, had stated that MMRDA should stick to the original route (Colaba-Bandra-Charkop) as that would be more viable than the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd route. He had also suggested that MMRDA should not opt for Public Private Partnership financial model for the project.
When did the bidding process begin?
MMRDA initiated the bidding process on February 13, 2009, but received no bidders even after the deadline was revised twice. It received just one application, from Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, that contained an 'apology note'. A joke played on MMRDA!
When did Rinfra bag the project?
Post re-tendering, on Aug 3, 2009, Anil Ambani-led consortium Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) bagged the project.
What was Save Our Suburb protest about?
The residents of western suburbs under the banner 'Save Our Suburbs' began a strong protest against an elevated metro rail passing through the already congested roads. Their demand was to build an underground metro, the way it was being done around the globe. ("Better late than never. For something positive to emerge, everyone has to struggle," was how Nitin Killawala of 'Save Our Suburbs' reacted after the agreement was terminated).
What was MMRDA's take?
But senior MMRDA officials refused to budge, saying it was financially not viable. However, the same MMRDA has now begun planning an underground metro, Dahisar-Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd, at an estimated Rs 28,900cr with World Bank aid. The earlier one that was scrapped was pegged around Rs12,000cr.
Hurdles on engineering front...
On the engineering front, the 31.87-km corridor faced a lot of hurdles. The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) gave only conditional clearance to erect the car depot at Charkop and Mankhurd Coastal Regulatory Zone plots, making it impossible to have a car depot.
Clearing the 22-metre height above Kurla railway station was another herculean task. Railways gave the approval only after reserving space between the existing station and the proposed metro rail for planned elevated corridors—CST-Kalyan and CST-Panvel.
Additionally, the ministry of civil aviation did not allow construction of the elevated corridor at the desired height—it would have almost touched SV Road at the grade outside Nanavati Hospital at Santacruz.
Right of way
Also, state authorities found it difficult to give 100% Right of Way to begin construction. Of the 31.87-km, MMRDA was able to hand over only 19-km to commence construction. Going by its experience during the construction of the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro, RInfra refused to begin work unless it got 100% clearance. With no deadline set, the Dahisar-Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro may require a long wait!
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