Mumbai 2010

If the Maharashtra state government’s assurance is anything to go by, Mumbai’s makeover will be more or less complete by the end of this year. Believe it or not, phase I of the metro rail and monorail projects as well as the Mithi project—which includes the widening, deepening of the river and the beautification of its banks—will be wrapped up by 2010-end. Even the Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) will be commissioned at around the same time. Cabinet minister and the suburbs guardian minister Naseem Khan said on Tuesday that December 2010 would mark the commissioning of several infrastructure projects making travel easier in the suburbs. He was speaking after holding a meeting with officials of the MMRDA that is executing most of the projects.
MILAN FLYOVER : The prolonged problem of flooding and disruption of traffic in the Milan subway will finally come to an end. The road over the bridge on the subway will be ready by July 2010. Once commissioned, the subway, which was originally a culvert and later converted into a road, may enjoy its original status if commuters prefer the ROB over the subway.
FREEWAY DELAYED : The road which promises a smooth ride right from Shahid Bhagat Singh Road in south Mumbai to the Eastern Express Highway at Anik Panjrapole without a single traffic signal,will,however,be delayed. Gaikwad said the project was behind schedule by 6 months.
METRO RAIL: Phase I of the metro rail from Versova to Ghatkopar, a distance of 11 km, will be ready by December 2010. The Rs 2,364-crore project will carry 40,000 to 50,000 passengers per hour during peak hours. “It is hoped that this transport system will radically reduce the number of vehicles on the road with citizens more likely to use it for the east-west commute,’’ an official said. The minimum cost of a metro rail ticket will be Rs 8. Incidentally, the issue of parking lots is yet to be resolved. However, MMRDA commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad insisted that the BMC was looking at ways to create parking lots along the metro route.
MONORAIL: The first section of the monorail between Wadala to Chembur will also be ready during the same time. The Rs 2,460-crore project will carry around 20,000 passengers during peak hours. There will be a service every four minutes. According to project specifications, the peak hour passenger traffic in each direction for metro rail is 22,500 and for monorail it is 7,000. MITHI BEAUTIFICATION: The widening and deepening of the 6-km-long river that flows through the BKC will be completed by December 2010, albeit with a significant alteration in width. The width of the river along Kapadia Nagar will not be more than 60 m. The Madhav Chitale Fact-Finding Committee on the Mumbai floods as well as the Central Water and Power Research Station had recommended a width of 100-200 m in the BKC area. According to Gaikwad, there were problems of widening in two areas: the Valmiki Nagar near Vakola nullah and in the Kapadia Nagar area. “We are planning to shift the residents of Valmiki Nagar taking care to see that their livelihoods are not affected,’’ he said. The project cost will touch Rs 400 crore.