Bullet Train Route Survey to be Finalised by May End

08th May, 2018

THANE : The survey for finalizing the route of the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train route passing through Diva has reached its final stage and is likely to be completed by this month end following which the negotiations over acquisitions will start, informed officials.

A team from the Thane revenue department along with the National High Speed Railway Corporation Limited, land records division embarked on a joint plot measurement today. An official from the team confirmed the route of the high speed corridor passing through the suburb should be finalized by this month end.

“We have completed the initial surveys and started with earmarking the final route to get an accurate idea of the train course. We will jointly make a note of the quantum of land be required for executing the project in this area after which negotiations with the land owners will begin,” said an official from the revenue department.

The bullet train route tentatively runs through 39.66km in Thane district and will require around 56 hectares of land collectively. In Thane tehsil, around 104 plots from Diva villages, measuring 18Ha will be required. The route for the bullet train passes through nine villages in the Diva suburb of Thane including Shil, Desai, Davale among others. The rail route will be on an elevated level, informed officials.

The officials said the route will require 17.5m wide access including 13.5m for the high speed rails and the rest for access roads adjoining it. Adequate care will be taken to ensure there is no noise pollution in adjoining areas.

Meanwhile, few Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers staged a protest on Monday at Shil disrupting the land measurements process claiming the project was unnecessarily being dumped on residents of Maharashtra. The protestors were later placated by the authorities following which the agitation was called off.

“The project would be not used by any local resident and it seems the same is being executed for the benefit of Gujrat businessmen. Why should the local Maharashtra residents spare their land and bear the burden of the project. There are many other important issues in Maharashtra that need the government’s attention,” questioned Avinash Jadhav, Thane district president of MNS.

It may be recalled that MNS president Raj Thackeray recently in Palghar had urged farmers to not give away their land for the proposed bullet train insisting that the government first improve the Mumbai railway infrastructure.

It may be recalled that residents of few villages from Diva backed by the NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad had also threatened to stop the survey of the bullet train route alleging the authorities were stealthily marking their lands without taking land owners into confidence. Inspite of ruckus created by some politically motivated people, our team completed the joint measurement survey in Dive Anjur ( Bhiwandi) and Shil (Thane) today. The residents of the villages are supporting this high speed rail project, said a NHSRCL spokesperson.

 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com