Three Land Acquisition Disputes Put Mumbai Metro Line 6's 2027 Deadline at Risk
Mumbai's Metro Line 6 corridor, which is 88 per cent complete, faces three unresolved land acquisition disputes that could delay its planned 2027 opening, according to officials from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
The 15.3-km east-west line connecting Swami Samarth Nagar in Jogeshwari to Vikhroli has made significant progress, but critical work remains stalled at the proposed Shyam Nagar station, a missing viaduct section at the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR)-Eastern Express Highway (EEH) junction, and the depot at Kanjurmarg.
At Shyam Nagar, the viaduct and platform are in place, but station construction has not started because the land falls under a no-development zone (NDZ). The MMRDA initially sought to dereserve 5,000 sqm, but the state government directed it to acquire only 1,350 sqm. The authority then approached the landowners with a revised proposal but received no response, prompting compulsory acquisition proceedings under the MMRDA Act. The proposal is awaiting final approval from the Urban Development Department. Additionally, a 350-sqm parcel for the station access point is encroached by slums that will need clearance.
The second bottleneck is at the JVLR-EEH junction, where a section of the viaduct remains incomplete. About 1,700 sqm of land for eight pillars is tied up in decades-old litigation over ownership. The land was originally leased to Jolly Board Private Limited, and a court ordered status quo in 1997. The MMRDA received advance possession from the revenue department in May, but can only proceed with court permission. The authority sought urgent hearings on June 12 and June 17, but neither matter was taken up.
The third hurdle is the Kanjurmarg depot. In March 2025, a long-running dispute over salt-pan land was resolved, but the MMRDA has yet to receive physical possession from the central government. Officials remain hopeful that the issues will be resolved, but the delays cast doubt on the 2027 deadline.
