Bombay HC: Metro essential, people should compromise during construction

The Bombay High Court today said it cannot put a permanent stop to the Metro III project as it is essential for decongestion of roads and hence people should compromise and sacrifice and put up with the problems created due to the construction workA division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N M Jamdar was hearing a bunch of petitions claiming that the construction activity for the project was resulting in noise pollution in the areas concernedLast month the court had refused to allow the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited MMRCL the use of heavy machinery or transportation vehicles at night for the Metro III line workThe MMRCL had sought the courts permission to bring heavy vehicles to construction sites in South Mumbai during the night hours to transport construction material and debrisAdvocate General Ashutosh Kumbakoni today sought that the court reconsider the issue and said The nature of machinery equipment and material that needs to be brought in are heavy and large Traffic needs to be stopped for these to be transported It would not be proper if traffic is stopped during day time and hence it needs to be done at nightThe court then said it was aware of the authoritys anxiety and concern to complete the project and directed the MMRCL to file an affidavit giving details of what work needs to be carried out during night time and the time schedule for the sameWe are aware of your concern and anxiety But at the same time we cannot overlook everything You MMRCL cannot carry on work each night for a whole year There are school and college children who have to prepare for exams Chief Justice Chellur saidWe understand that there has to be compromise and sacrifice by people too We cannot permanently stop theproject There needs to be a balance We cannot stop development This project will decongest roads and willbenefit everyone Extreme sensitivity and arbitrariness is also not correct she saidThe bench has now posted the petitions for hearing tomorrow by when the MMRCL will have to submit its affidavitThe 33kilometre ColabaBandraSEEPZ Metro line III project is part of the Metro system which will connect the Cuffe Parade business district in south Mumbai to SEEPZ in the citys northcentral suburbIn August this year acting on the above petitions the court had restrained MMRCL from carrying out anyconstruction or ancillary work on the Metro III line between 10 pm and 6 am