Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has resumed work on Metro 2B (DN Nagar to Mandale) on a stretch of SV Road, Vile Parle, after disposal of a public interest litigation in high court in December 2022.
A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by a resident who had raised safety-related objections since Metro 2B corridor passed through a stretch of SV Road which is close to runway 8/26 of Juhu aerodome.
The stretch of Metro where work had come to a stand still between Indira Nagar and Nanavati Hospital stations in Vile Parle since it falls in the funnel zone.
An MMRDA official said, “A lot of time was lost on this stretch because of which work could not be undertaken. We now plan to complete work on the pillars and viaduct in a year’s time.”
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which is executing work, has begun installation on pier portals. Once piers come up, work on installing viaduct will commence. DMRC hopes to finish the entire 2B stretch in western suburbs by December 2024.
Work on the stretch at SV Road near Juhu airport was caught up though Airports Authority of India had granted an No Objection Certificate in 2019 for this corridor with an elevation of 16.76 m (above mean sea level).
However, local residents had objected to the NOC on grounds that the Metro corridor falls in the funnel of the runway. They contended that there is a possibility of aircraft getting involved in an accident which may endangering the safety of residents.
In January 2022, HC had sought an independent comprehensive report from the civil aviation ministry secretary Rajiv Bansal on the issue of height clearance granted for an over ground Metro rail 2B project in Mumbai.
In May, in its report to the HC, the ministry said, the ‘height clearance’ NOC by AAI to MMRDA for the elevated metro rail line close to the Juhu airport ‘duly addresses safety aspects for aircraft operations and safety concerns of residents in the vicinity.”
Finally on December 22, 2022 disposed of the petition after the director general of civil aviation submitted an affidavit saying AAI had in September said the ‘take-off run available’ (TORA) had been “reduced to 645 m after displacing the runway of 487 m as part of the total runway length 1132 metres.”
The high court was also assured by the Centre that a safety assessment had been carried out and the “impact of existing obstacles on aircraft operations at Juhu airport is minimised to acceptable level of safety by adopting and implementing control measures”.