Privacy of residents along side Metro route goes for a toss
| Date :19-May-2019 |
Blocked: Maha Metro station near Hingna T-point has blocked existing structures leaving little room for vehicle users to manoeuvre.
By Sagar Mohod:
Upcoming monstrous metro stations have already gobbled up portion of many commercial and residential premises en route
Peace and tranquillity that once was hallmark of some of the serene localities along side Ambazari and Hingna Road are going to be biggest casualty when Mazi Metro finally starts its commercial services on the route. Starting off from embankment of majestic Ambazari lake, privacy of the citizens, who long ago made this part of city their abode, will be the first casualty. And no one is any wiser as of today as to exact nature of Metro plans as most of the work is still under progress. The imposing buildings and structures that are now hallmark of Metro, however, are going to dwarf expectations of the people who are directly affected by their alignment.
For instance, buildings near Hingna T-point where metro stations are gobbling up frontage of existing buildings -- both commercial and residential. One such building is Classic Surya Apartment on whose property Metro has drilled it mega pillars for it western part of the station. Trouble is set to increase when the massive arms stretching out from the pillar located in the middle of the road are cemented for station building. For, the front view of the Apartment building will be blocked permanently. The station building is coming up at the entry/exit gate to the apartment building that would create hurdles in movement when footfalls on Metro increase in future.
Apart from that the permanent blockage of flow of air and sunlight to residents having their flat facing road is otherwise also going to spell trouble for citizens. On other side of this building, on the Eastern side, the Metro station has totally enveloped the existing residential structure, Classic Pawa. With little open space available for station buildings on the road, Metro has taken liberty to make itself at home on private lands leaving citizens perplexed. As one toured the Hingna Road stretches at many sites station buildings are yet to find any concrete shape.
The last station as of now on the route, that is Lokmanya Nagar, one witnessed frenzied construction activity. Located near T-point the station would provide connectivity to major residential area that have sprung along side Hingna Road. Near the Hingna Car Depot the pillars are bisected, as one arm allows for movement of metro rake into washing and maintenance wing, the other side ahead it seems is constructed for further expansion of metro route till Wasudeo Nagar. Just at entrance to car depot, again the metro line is constructed very near to a building.
The gap is almost non-existent leaving one spell bound by the tight manoeuvre provided in the structural drawings. For road users however the station arena on Hingna Road could prove problematic as times pass by since little room is left open for infusion of fresh air in toe passages below. Also absence of sun light at these spots means lights with heavy lumens would be installed for increasing visibility. This could lead to increased warmth in these patches causing increased humidity. At Subhash Nagar T-point one of the pillars appear to have created confusion for the road users. Hope Maha Metro takes stock of this inconvenience to citizens and avoids pushing citizens further into a tight corner in a bid to give concrete shape to their dreams.