Mumbai: `2nd Metro line will soon get nod'

MUMBAI: Reliance Infra officials said they were confident of starting work on the construction of their two train depots at Charkop and Mankhurd for the second Metro line. Work on these depots was stuck for over a year pending central environment clearance.
The officials said chief minister Ashok Chavan had taken up the issue with the Union environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, during his recent trip to Delhi and they were positive that they would be given the green signal shortly.
A Reliance Infra consortium is building the first line of the Metro - Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar - and will also construct the second line of Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd.
Reliance Infra officials said that planning work on the project had been adversely affected. The plot at Charkop measuring 19.6 hectares and the one at Mankhurd of 24 hectares are to be the sites for their main depots for use as parking lots for the trains, repairs and cleaning.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials said that the plots needed environmental clearance as they had mangroves growing on them in parts.
Reliance officials said that they would not be destroying any mangroves and have put forward plans which would allow the mangroves to grow even with a depot on the site.