“We’ve presented the plan to the authorities and they have assured us that they will look into it and revert soon,” said Nitin Killawala, member of the core committee of protesting residents. Meanwhile, the MMRDA officials are quite unsure if they can redo the alignment of the 32-km corridor that is in last stages of tendering.

“They presented the conceptual plan of an 8-km section with the dipping areas, stations and its exits, but we don’t have the expertise to evaluate the plan. We have to study its technical feasibility, financial viability and its impact on the pace of implementation of the corridor. The concept plan may be sent to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for evaluation,” said GR Madan, director MRTS, MMRDA.

 The citizen groups have proposed an underground section of the Metro corridor from ESIC Nagar in Andheri to Bandra. According to these citizen activists, the overground Metro corridor will affect hundreds of structures. “As per our calculation, from ESIC Nagar to Bandra there are over 153 structures being affected partially or completely. At some places the stairs marked on maps of the planning agency fall in the frontage of the buildings or commercial structures,” said Killawala, who is also an architect.