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Javed Akhtar Joins Protest in Mumbai, Demands Underground Metro

Residents and various citizens’ association groups joined hands in protest to demand an underground metro line.

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Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam

Video Producer: Hera Khan

Hundreds of Mumbaikars, including students and professionals formed a human chain on Friday, 5 October to protest the upcoming Metro 2B line.

Protestors, including various citizens’ association groups and celebrities like lyricist Javed Akhtar, joined hands against what they have called is a “step-motherly” treatment meted out to eastern-Mumbai suburbs by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) .

“They are planning to construct an elevated metro which is not right. The metro crosses through narrow roads with a gap of just 4-5 feet between the metro rails and the houses. This is not a very wise thing to do. The way the underground metro is being constructed in downtown it should be the same way here. Why is there a discrimination?”
Javed Akhtar, Lyricist

The demonstrators formed a chain on SV Road, covering Mahim to Khar in the Western suburbs, demanding the metro line be converted to an underground corridor and not an elevated one.

At present, the Metro 2B line is expected to be an elevated corridor covering 23.643 kilometres from DN Nagar to Mandale in Mankhurd. This aims to connect the Eastern and Western suburbs of Mumbai.

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Demanding that instead of an elevated corridor, SV Road should get an underground metro corridor akin to that of South Mumbai, residents said that an underground metro line will protect the heritage and monuments in eastern suburb.

We have been appealing to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that this metro should be underground. We strongly believe that if this goes overground, it will be disastrous for eastern suburbs in Mumbai.
Ashok Pandit, Indian filmmaker

Drawing a possible situation during heavy rains, Pandit added that, “When there are reasons to go underground, then why not? Development is for people and if people are demanding something, it is the utmost duty of the CM and the government to listen to them," Ashok Pandit told The Quint.

Bhupendra Awasthi, a paedatrician who runs Surya Children's hospital for 30 years said, “Over a period of time, the road anyway has become very congested due to traffic. It is difficult for people to reach the hospital due to choked roads.”

“We can still manage this, but it will be impossible to run a hospital for children with noise and pollution in an already packed area because it will be an elevated section,” Awasthi added.

Diana, a school student who participated in the protest, highlighted the perils of constructing an elevated metro and said, “We want an underground metro because if we will get an elevated metro, there will be a lot of dust and noise.”

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