Whether Mumbai Metro line 6 shall be another Monorail ?

Whether Mumbai Metro line 6 shall be another Monorail?

Mumbai is having first Metro line connecting Versova to Ghatkopar. Thereafter 4 lines were announced out of which one is underground.
Government then announced another line Metro 6 hurriedly which connects Swami Samarth Nagar in Jogeshwari (West) to Vikhroli near Eastern Express Highway.
Metro 6 line is parallel to Metro 1 line.

Mumbai also has Monorail connecting Wadala to Chembur and Wadala to Jacob Circle (Saat Rasta). This monorail is having problems right from its inception. It has remained closed most of the time .Also when running occupancy was very low. Once due to snag in signals 2 monos came in front of each other and collision was avoided by very small distance.

The problem of Metro 6 is such that it has very sharp curves and it is going to have problems while running. It has to run with slow speed as otherwise it can have derailment at sharp curves. Also the road on which it is built has big gradient at places. For example IIT to Gandhinagar.
Like Monorail this Metro is constructed on road divider blocking one lane on either side.
MMRDA built JVLR by spending crores of rupees. This was to have faster connectivity between east and west. It was promised that this distance shall be covered within 17 minutes. Multiple flyovers erected and flowering plants are planted on road divider. Metro is going to break all this. Totally 900 full grown trees shall be cut. Same thing was done at the time of laying monorail.

Earlier Metro 3 was to run from Colaba to Kanjur Marg. Then there was issue about providing terminus at Kanjur Marg salt pans. In view of this terminus provided at Aarey Colony. Government is facing lot of opposition even today for terminus at Aarey which will lead to cutting of trees. Now Metro 6 is going to face same problem for terminus at Vikhroli. DPR prepared is silent on the same. Whether they will cut mangroves after eastern express highway? Is it going to be terminus at KanjurMarg salt pans? In case if it is Kanjur then why not extend Metro 3 to that point sparing Aarey green patch.

Even Monorail is having issues about Terminus at Jacob Circle as there is no enough place.
Another thing is that Metro 6 shall be crossing 2 railway lines (Western & Central) 4 Metro lines (2, 3, 4 &7) and many flyovers. This has made it highest level Metro. The height of Metro 6 track at certain points shall be 38 m above ground as against other Metros which have average height of 16 m.
When we say 38 m it means 12 storey building. The height of track shall be very high and supporting pillars have to be very strong. Structural maintenance is going to be challenge.
Metro 6 station KanjurMarg and Metro 4 station Gandhinagar shall be at 100 m distance. These stations at major traffic junctions are going to cause clutter.
Instead of erecting such huge structures it is sensible to make this Metro underground. It would also save defacing to Powai Lake Promenade. It would also save marine life. It is well known fact that Crocodiles cannot bear heavy sound. In Crocodile Park at Chennai they died due to DJ playing loud music. The Metro construction work requires digging, drilling etc. which are noise making operations.
In order to avoid this underground metro through Chandivali is better option.
As of now it looks that it is going to be another huge concrete structure standing in middle of road obstructing traffic with not much movement at the top.

Datt Udas
datt.udas63@gmail.com