Bombay HC stays metro car shed project in Mumbai

In a huge setback to the Mumbai Metro project and the Maharashtra government, the Bombay High Court has restrained the authorities from carrying out any construction on the disputed 102 acre of salt pan land in Mumbai's Kanjurmarg, that had been assigned for building the Metro car shed.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni have issued a stay on the order passed by Mumbai suburban district collector allotting the said land to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority for building the car shed and adjourned the matter for further hearing till February 2021.

The High Court’s decision has come at a time when the state and the Centre are locked in a tussle over the ownership of Kanjurmarg land.

While the Centre contends that the entire salt pan land, including the 102 acres allotted to the Metro authorities belongs to the Centre’s Salt Commissioner, the state has claimed otherwise.

The court yesterday said it was prima facie of the view that the district collector’s October



order, allotting land for Metro cannot continue and hence it cannot allow any construction or even soil testing on the salt pan land in Kanjurmarg.

The High Court's decision has also resulted in a political storm with the opposition BJP asking the government to revert to the original plan and construct the car shed at Aarey so that Mumbaikars can have their Metro in 2021.

Stating that Metro will be delayed by atleast three years and cause a monetary loss of about 5000 crores besides a wider environmental damage as compared to Aarey, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis urged the MahaVikas Aghadi government not to make it an ego issue and begin the construction of carshed at Aarey.

But the state environment minister and Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray has said that the court order will be reviewed before deciding future course of action.

Claiming that the land is crucial for four Metro lines, Mr. Thackeray said it will be a nodal point for over one crore Mumbaikars.