ULCRA out, Versova car shed in

The repealing of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act has done a world of good for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the first phase of the Mumbai Metro Rail project.

The 30-acre land at Versova, where a car shed will be constructed for the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar metro link, has been declared surplus after the repeal. According to ULCRA, any land measuring 5,000 square kilometres is declared surplus and can be claimed by the government.

The land was under litigation for the past two years resulting in delay of the first phase of the project. Sources said that authorities at Mumbai Metro One - the consortium of Reliance Energy, MMRDA and Veolia Transport - wanted to set the ball rolling only after the car shed issue was sorted out.

MMRDA officials said the government has cleared the road map to acquire the land through various means which include cash, compensation, negotiation and transfer of development rights which in all probability would be applied.

The issue

The government wanted to acquire the land free of cost under ULCRA and initiated a process with the additional collector in 2005. MMRDA officials said in the meantime, many claimants appealed to the additional revenue commissioner who said the land cannot be declared as surplus.

In June 2006, the first phase of the Metro Rail Project was inaugurated and in August 2006, the government began the process of land acquisition.

MMRDA, meanwhile, worked out a plan, according to which the car shed would come up on one side and the owners could use the remaining portion for commercial purposes. Sources said that as modalities were being worked out between the MMRDA and the owners, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh intervened, saying the land should be declared surplus. This agitated the owners who moved the High Court on the grounds that on one hand MMRDA was negotiating with them, while on the other the Chief Minister was going on record declaring the land as surplus.

Current status of phase I

Completed: Topographic survey, geo-technical survey, condition survey of adjoining structures, logistic survey, station survey, utility survey, soil investigations, mock-up trials for girder movement and for traffic management, conceptual designs for the via duct and all 12 stations

Currently underway: Station access management study, feasibility for leadership in energy and environmental design for the project, environment impact assessment.

Source: mumbaimirror.com