Now Reading: Shinde Orders Public Consultations on Thane Ring Metro Project
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Shinde Orders Public Consultations on Thane Ring Metro Project
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed MahaMetro to conduct public consultations and a citywide awareness campaign on the Rs 12,200-crore Thane Integral Ring Metro project, which faces opposition over limited…
The Story in Brief
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed MahaMetro to conduct public consultations and a citywide awareness campaign on the Rs 12,200-crore Thane Integral Ring Metro project, which faces opposition over limited citizen involvement. The 29-km corridor includes 26 km of elevated track and 3 km underground, with officials reporting 9.5% work completed. MahaMetro said the project could be finished in three-and-a-half years, subject to land acquisition and statutory clearances.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik also proposed an alternative alignment through Samata Nagar, Lokmanya Nagar, Aai Mata Mandir and Shivai Nagar. Shinde asked MahaMetro to submit a feasibility report within three weeks. A citizens’ group has sought scrapping the project in favour of a Rs 2,000-crore electric bus and traffic-management plan, while officials said tunnelling would not endanger homes and an impact assessment would be made public.
The Indian Opinion
The easy claims on both sides need testing. Calling the metro an automatic traffic cure ignores construction, land and rehabilitation costs. Calling it an unnecessary project also rests partly on the citizens’ group’s own estimate, not an independent comparison. Public meetings should publish ridership forecasts, benefit coverage, alternatives and safety findings, including the claim that only 32% of residents would benefit. The feasibility report and project cost per commuter should decide whether the alignment earns approval.
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (3)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
