Slum dwellers may derail Metro deadline

Illegal shanties have cropped up in restricted area in Andheri once again, coming in the way of construction activity and increasing the chances of fatal mishaps at the site

ILLEGAL shanty dwellers have, once again, posed a major hurdle in work on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro corridor meeting its August 2012 deadline.

Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL), which is working on the city's first Metro corridor on a war footing, is facing the problem of illegal encroachment in the construction of the proposed D N Nagar Metro station in Andheri.








Illegal shanties (left) on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro corridor have posed a major threat to the construction activity to meet its deadline. Children play in the restricted area and very close to the danger zone

Shanties have mushroomed in the restricted area of the construction site once again despite action being taken against the illegal occupants barely two months ago.

Officials say construction activity cannot go on full swing with the shanties being present in the area as it increases the chances of accidents.

The east-bound lane of J P Road, where the station will come up, has been closed to vehicular traffic so that construction can be completed latest by July and motorists do not have to face any inconvenience during the monsoon. The Metro rail car depot is also there and, thus, entry to the road has been restricted.

Around March, action was taken against people who were staying on the footpath outside the car depot and they were asked to relocate as it was illegal to stay there.

The shanties had been vacated but it has been observed that families have built temporary houses in the area again, where they are staying with their small children.

Speaking to MiD DAY a senior MMOPL official said, "The construction site is a restricted area, which has been closed to the public for safety reasons.
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However, some families have built temporary houses within the area. The children enter the construction area and there is every chance of an untoward incident taking place."

A security guard present at the site alleged that the people staying on the footpath have even threatened them of dire consequences if they stopped them from entering the area.

"Taking note of the risks involved, we have taken measures like increasing the number of security guards, but some people still enter the area at night," added the official.

MMOPL has also decided to write a letter to the MMRDA and has decided to register a complaint against the slum dwellers with the local police station and the BMC.

An MMRDA official working on the project said on the condition of anonymity, "While working at the site, I have seen that MMOPL is taking all possible measures to stop the slum dwellers and other people from entering the restricted area.
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The MMRDA should take a serious view of the issue. It should write to the anti-encroachment cell of the BMC and ask them to immediately raze the shanties."

What we saw
When MiD DAY visited the area, we saw children as young as four playing within the restricted area and very close to the danger zone. Their presence is not only impeding construction activity but also poses a risk of accidents. Illegal shanties were also spotted in the area.

PROJECT DETAILS
Construction on the 11.07 km-long corridor, which is expected to cost Rs 2,356 crore, began in 2008 and the deadline for it is August 2012. Speaking to MiD DAY, MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar said construction activity is going on in full swing and the project could be completed as early as March-April 2012.

The Other Side
When we brought the issue to the notice of MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar, he said, "We will soon take precautionary measures and remove the shanties so that accidents do not take place and work on the Metro corridor can go on without a hitch."

BENEFITS
Connectivity: There will be 12 stations on the route. Once operational, the Metro corridor will connect the western suburbs to the eastern suburbs through a rail route for the first time. It will also provide enhanced connectivity to MIDC and SEEPZ.
Reduced travel time: The entire 11.07-km distance will be covered in 21 minutes against the present 90 minutes it takes by road.
Reduced pollution: The corridor will help reducing vehicular pollution by reducing the traffic on the roads.