Bombay HC dismisses pleas against Pune Metro route realignment

Local residents and environmentalists had opposed the change in alignment and challenged the NMA’s decision in the High Court.

On October 4, the High Court said that it had noted that there was no notification issued by the Union government under Section 32 of the Metro Railways (Construction of works) Act, 1978, for the realignment of route. The court directed that no work pertaining to the proposed changed alignment could be carried out till the notification was issued.

The three PILs challenging the realignment on Nagar Road also alleged that the changes undertaken by Maha-Metro didn’t conform to the Maharashtra Region Town Planning (MRTP) Act.

The Centre issued the notification on October 14, declaring that the Metro route from Vanaz to Ramwadi has been realigned. The route from Gunjan Chowk to Rawadi, which was planned through Nagar Road, will now shift closer to Mula-Mutha river. The total length of the realigned route from Vanaz to Ramwadi would be 15.749 km, and the length of the route will increase by 1.084 km due to realignment.

In the wake of the Centre’s notification, the High Court dismissed the pleas against the realignment.

“The High Court bench of Justice S C Dharmadhikari and Justice R I Chagla has disposed of the PILs challenging the NMA decision, refusing construction of the Metro route near Aga Khan Palace. It said the NMA was right in its decision,” said Hemant Sonawane, general manager of Maha-Metro.

The notification also allowed the realignment of the route from Civil Court to Ruby Hall Clinic.

While the earlier route from Mangalwarpeth was going to pass through Ambedkar Road and Sanjay Gandhi Road, and part of it was right in front of the Pune railway station, the realigned route is through Rajabahadur Mill Road, behind the railway station.