Mumbai: High drama unfolded in the early hours of Saturday during the installation of two girders for Metro Line 2B (DN Nagar–Mandale) above the Halav bridge in Kurla. Local residents protested against the 3.5m reduced height between the metro viaduct and the existing bridge saying it would obstruct the movement of heavy vehicles such as school buses, fire engines and ambulance.
While residents had long been demanding that the surface-to-girder height be maintained at 5.5m, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), had said that the height restriction was kept at 3.5m due to airport funnel zone restrictions, since the project fell within a zone where aviation height restrictions apply.
In response, opposing the decision, residents had formed the Halav Bridge Metro Bridge Sangharsh Samiti and approached the court. Despite the matter being under judicial review, girders were installed amid police presence on Saturday.
On Saturday at 3am, residents held a joint meeting at the Kurla police station with officials from the MMRDA, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), metro contractors, and consultants. The meeting addressed raising the metro girder’s height and rehabilitating the project-affected people (PAP). According to a signed statement, the MMRDA agreed to rehabilitate 17 PAPs, while the BMC took the responsibility for 14.
Anil Mandawkar, a resident of New Mill Road, who had formed the residents protest body said it would be unfair for 15,000 families of Kurla (W) that henceforth big vehicles like school buses, ambulances and fire brigades will not be accessible from this congested stretch. “We were aware of the MMRDA’s plans to reduce the road surface to girder height to 3.5m and had been protesting about it since the past 19 months. Though the matter was sub-judice, the authorities simply ignored our views, got huge police teams and went ahead with the low girder height inconveniencing us all. Looking at the congestion in this locality this stretch is critical,” said Mandawkar.
Mumbai city Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, also raised the issue in a post on X, stating that people’s sentiments and opinions should have been factored in while taking up development projects. “Development is meant for people and their views need to be considered in every project. I received many complaints from local citizens who had been raising this issue for a long time and had even staged a dharna,” Gaikwad told HT.
In a statement, the MMRDA said that Metro 2B is a vital East-West corridor that will link key residential and commercial hubs including DN Nagar, Kurla, Chembur and Mandale. It said that “as it falls under the airport funnel zone, the vertical clearance between the metro viaduct and the existing bridge is restricted to 3.5”. It said that the adjacent S G Barve Marg metro station has also been designed in line with aviation height norms. The authority also noted that light vehicles can continue to use Halav bridge, while heavy vehicles have been diverted through alternate routes.
Dhanaji Herlekar, assistant municipal commissioner of L-Ward said, “We are widening the AH Wadia road running beneath the bridge from 6m to 8m to facilitate the movement of heavy vehicles. That should also take care of the movement of the tall Ganesh idols.” He added that the road widening should be completed before the onset of this monsoon.