Mumbai: Locals want renaming of Upper Dahisar station on Metro 2A

Upper Dahisar station is located in the vicinity of Anand Nagar; trial run of a Metro rake is underway. Pic/Satej Shinde

The clamour for renaming a station on the DN Nagar-Dahisar Metro line 2A has become shriller ahead of its planned operation from next year. The residents of Anand Nagar in Dahisar have demanded that the Upper Dahisar station be given a name that resonates better with the area where it is located.

The locals have written to MLA Vinod Ghosalkar and guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray, urging them to rename the station as Anand Nagar Metro station.

Local social worker Rajesh Pandya said, "The station has been named Upper Dahisar by MMRDA but we want it to be renamed as Anand Nagar." They have also sent copies of their letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and MMRDA Commissioner SVR Srinivas.

Local residents said a farmer named Anand Mahatre lived there and was famous for growing paddy. As his rice fields made way for residential pockets, the place came to be known as Anand Nagar.

There are 37 buildings in Sectors 1, 2 and 3 of Anand Nagar and all the surrounding residential complexes associate their addresses with it. The Dahisar Residents' Forum and Suraj Nagrik Cooperative Housing Federation Limited from the area have also demanded a change in the name of the Metro station.

"The BMC has named the local school as Anand Nagar Public School. The police beat chowky also has Anand Nagar in its name. For the last 45 years, the Anand Nagar Utsav Samiti has been organising a public Ganesh festival and Navratri on a large scale. All these are familiar with Anand Nagar. If nothing else, they can give the station some local identity by adding Anand Nagar to Upper Dahisar," said Pandya.

18.5km
Length of Metro 2A route