Despite CM’s intervention, MMRDA says it is not possible to move station alignment on SV Road, which was changed surreptitiously without people’s knowledge
Construction work on for station in front of Bai Hirabai Tata Memorial Trust Tata Blocks, in Bandra. Pic/Satej Shinde
The Sadhu Vaswani Garden, the only green space on Bandra’s SV Road, will shrink by around 290 sq metres, to facilitate the entry and exit to Metro 2B corridor’s National College station, MMRDA has clarified in its reply to mid-day. In a huge setback to local residents, MMRDA also said that the station will not be shifted back. Justifying their decision, MMRDA officials said shifting the station back would be very tedious and involve substantial cost.
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Mid-Day had reported how as per the earlier plan for the Metro 2B corridor, there are to be two stations in Bandra West— Bandra (near the Lucky restaurant signal) and National College near Jivan Kiran Bungalow opposite the Railway Colony. According to residents, the National College station was shifted opposite Tata Blocks starting from Grace Galaxy hotel and extending to the Maruti Auto Vista showroom on SV Road.
Sadhu Vaswani Udyan at the junction of Linking Road and SV Road. Pic/Shadab Khan
Locals had alleged that the decision to move the station was made discreetly, without informing stakeholders. They also claimed that they were neither informed nor were their suggestions or objections sought. mid-day had sent questions to the MMRDA regarding residents’ concerns last week and their official reply arrived on Wednesday. MMRDA’s reply comes after residents claim they were assured by its engineers that the entry-exit wouldn’t eat up the garden space, and would instead be constructed on the opposite side of the garden. The number of trees to be affected to facilitate the station is 39, said the statement from MMRDA.
Pashin Katpitia, president, Bandra Tata Blocks Welfare Association said, “We were told that after the chief minister’s remark to look into the matter, MMRDA has submitted the details to his office, and now the shifting or scrapping of the station will happen only if they get directions from the CMO. We have sought a meeting with local MLA Ashish Shelar on this matter.”
Also Read: Mumbai: ‘MMRDA has to shift Bandra's metro station, bear costs as per CM’s diktat’
‘Why we shifted the station’
In the reply to mid-day, MMRDA officials have said, “As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Metro Line-2B, the National College Metro station was planned opposite Western Railway Employees Colony (old location) on SV Road. In November 2019, Chief Engineer Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project (MSDP), BMC informed MMRDA about a 3.2m diameter sewer tunnel work on SV Road from Jay Bharat Society to Bandra Pumping Station. It was observed that the National College Metro station foundations are infringing on the proposed MSDP sewer tunnel of BMC for a length of about 200m. As requested by BMC, and after considering all aspects, MMRDA agreed to shift the National College metro station towards Bandra Railway station in October 2020 to ensure the coexistence of both metro station foundations and the sewer tunnel.”
Pashin Katpitia, president, Bandra Tata Blocks Welfare Association, says they have sought a meeting with local MLA Ashish Shelar. Pic/Satej Shinde
Claiming there are many advantages to shifting the station to the new location, MMRDA officials said, “The Right of Way at old location of the Metro station was 23-24m but at the new location, it is 24-34.8m. At the old location due to the narrow road width, the entry/exit structures of the Metro station might have obstructed the residential building gates. The new location is at the higher road top level. Also, the new location is at a better junction connecting major roads like Linking Road, Turner Road and SV Road.”
“After shifting, the entry/exit No. 2 of the National College Station is planned on the edge of Sadhu Vaswani Udyan. The entry/exit structure requires 290 sq metre area from the 1,700 sqm area of Sadhu Vaswani Garden. Of the 39 affected trees, 13 are proposed to be cut and 26 proposed to be transplanted. The residents of Tata blocks visited the MMRDA office regarding the shifting of National College Metro station. All relevant information was given to them during the visit,” MMRDA officials added.
‘They are misleading us’
“On our visit to the MMRDA office, engineer Shrikant Jadhav said the entry/exit will not be at Sadhu Vaswani Garden. It will be on the opposite side and at the corner of SV Road and Linking Road. Another entry/exit will be on the Gaiety Galaxy lane and other side. He also mentioned that they would do this to protect the garden. And now we hear this. First we were not informed about it, now they are misleading us,” said one of the residents of Tata Blocks.
Katpitia added, “If 290 sq mtrs area is acquired, the garden will be thrown open for commuters to navigate. The crowd will spillover on the remaining garden space. Then there will be hawkers, miscreants too will get open access to the garden. Besides, what is the success rate of transplanted trees? That the garden won’t be affected was just false assurance given to us.”
The sewer tunnel work of BMC was completed in December 2022. As per sources, BMC had advised to shift the station by 108 metres, but the MMRDA shifted it by 289 metres. Citing that shifting of the station back now will be very tedious, and would incur losses, MMRDA officials said, “In case the National College Metro station is to be shifted back to the earlier location then some length of the sewer tunnel will have to be shifted. Also, it would involve removal of 13 U-girders. dismantling of 15 piers, 10 pier caps and construction of pier foundations at the new location would be tedious. This will involve substantial costs.”
Outraged residents of Tata Blocks Parsi residential colony and other stakeholders on SV Road, had sought an explanation multiple times from MMRDA over the decision, but received no reply. “In spite of a number of written objections to MMRDA discreetly shifting the metro station to the Bandra HP Junction, MMRDA has neither bothered to reply to them nor have they bothered to officially disclose exactly what they intend to do. It is unfortunate that the affected citizens were kept in the dark. We once again seek the aid of MLA Shelar and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the matter, and sincerely urge them to intervene on behalf of the citizens,” said Zameer Palamkote, joint chairman of Varde Marg Residents’ Association on Bandra S V Road.
108 m
The original distance that the BMC had advised MMRDA to shift the Metro station by
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