Help us get land for elevated corridor: Railways

Railway officials on Monday sought the state’s help in acquiring land for the Oval Maidan-Churchgate to Virar elevated corridor and have asked them to decide on FSI for the structures, which come in the way of the corridor, besides shifting of the utilities.

In an infrastructure meeting held by CM Prithviraj Chavan at the Sahyadhri Guest House on Monday, railway officials sought the state’s help in clearing hutments between Wadala and Mankhurd for the CST-Panvel Fast Corridor, which the government and the railways will take up along with the Churchgate-Virar project.

The corridor got a push with the railway board chairman Vinay Mittal visiting Mumbai on Monday. “The CM has sought to expedite the state support agreement and railway ministry has assured a viability gap funding of 20% for the project,” a senior Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation official said.

Although the land required to be acquired for the project is less, a stretch near Bandra to Oshiwara, where around 3 hectares are to be acquired, is a problem area and the railways have sought the state’s help in carrying out this acquisition.

Around 91 hectares of land is required, of which 76 hectares is government land and 15 hectares is private land.

The 63km elevated corridor project will have a 16.6km underground stretch, while 36.4km will be elevated and 10km will be at ground level. The CST-Panvel fast corridor also has logistical problems.