Close on the heels of the Maharashtra Government giving a go-ahead to new lines under the Mumbai Metro project, the State-run Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday approved two new metro lines — Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro-5 and lokhandwala-Jogeshwari-Vikhroli-Kanjur Marg Metro-6 corridors.
While the 24-km long Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro-5 corridor will have 17 stations and cost Rs8,416 crore, there will be 13 stations in the Rs6,672 crore lokhandwala-Jogeshwari-Vikhroli-Kanjur Marg Metro-6 corridor involving a 14.5-km-long route.
The MMRDA gave a go-ahead to the two premier projects at a meeting presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who is the chairman of the State-run body. “Both the approved projects will be placed before the State Cabinet for the Government’s approval," a senior MMRDA official said.
Apart from the two new metro lines, the MMRDA also approved two more important projects, including the setting up of 500 wi-fi hotspots in the city of Mumbai. The wi-fi hot spots project will involve an expenditure of Rs194 crore.
According to the MMRDA official, the on-ground work of identifying 500 wi-fi hotspots in the first phase in the city will be carried out by the Maharashtra Information and Technology Corporation under the aegis of the Directorate of Information and Technology.
The MMRDA’s go-ahead for two new metro lines come less than a month after the Maharashtra government approved two new lines– D N Nagar-Bandra-Mankhurd and Wadala-Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarvadavli – under the Mumbai Metro project, at estimated cost of Rs 25,535 crore.
Having accepted the detailed project report of the Mumbai Metro 2B 23.5 km corridor of D N Nagar-Bandra-Mankhurd and 32.32 km Metro-4 corridor — Wadala-Mulund-Thane-Kasarvadavli, the Maharashtra Cabinet had approved the two new metro lines on September 27, 2016.
While the MMRDA will carry out the civil work for the two projects, while the state and Center will share 50 per cent of the total cost. The Asian Development Bank and World Bank will provide the remaining quantum of money by way of loans.