PUNE: The
Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MahaMetro) has installed barricades to enable soil testing on East Avenue in
Kalyaninagar
, escalating the opposition to the project from local
residents
.
Residents of the area have met MahaMetro chief Brijesh Dixit in this regard, who has promised to organize a meeting with everyone and discuss the plan.
Citizens have also started an online signature campaign against the Metro route in Kalyaninagar, which has garnered more than 1,000 supporters in 48 hours.
Last week, the residents had met MLA Jagdish Mulik and submitted a letter, demanding the Metro be aligned as per the original plan — along Ahmednagar Road.
“The Metro was originally aligned from Kalyaninagar to Ramwadi on Ahmednagar Road. However, the authorities have decided to change the route to take it inside Kalyaninagar, with a approximate deviation of 900 metres,” said Kalyaninagar Raja Narasimhan, who started the petition two days ago.
In September, the National Monuments Authority had struck down the original plan, which would have taken the Metro past Aga Khan Palace, which is a protected monument. The law prohibits construction in a 100m radius around a protected monument.
Residents suggested that MahaMetro could terminate the route at Kalyaninagar. “This will avoid unnecessary hardship to the residents of the area, which is already congested. This will not damage the green cover. Ramwadi residents can take BRTS transport to Kalyaninagar station to avail Metro services,” Narasimhan said.
“We met the Metro authorities and PMC officials, who they promised to stop work. But they have misguided us completely. This includes the MLA of the constituency as well,” alleged Kalyaninagar resident Nikhil Karia.
“The corporator and the MLA should support the members of the constituency. We have raised the issue with them already,” Satish Khot of the NGO, Public Concern for Governance Trust, said.
MahaMetro chief Dixit said the revised alignment was final, but was willing to hear the citizens’ concerns out. “We will reach out to the residents and let them know our stand. Citizens’ views will be heard, but the revised alignment is final for the Kalyaninagar area,.” Dixit said.
The revised alignment has been approved by PMC, and is awaiting a resolution by the MahaMetro’s board of directors. Once a resolution is passed, the state and the Union governments will be informed and subsequently, the Centre will issue a notification about the change.
“Soil-testing is also a part of the
Metro work
, which means the process towards building the route has started,” said Meghana Baphna, another resident.
A MahaMetro official said soil testing is done on every proposed route, regardless of whether or not construction will be taken up there, and that actual work on the ground will start after the final approval.
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