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Mumbai: Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a developer’s plea challenging the Bombay High Court order clearing the transfer of 15 hectares of salt pan land at Kanjurmarg for Mumbai Metro Line 6 depot. The HC judgment concerned challenges to state govt orders relating to the Kanjurmarg salt pan land, including the transfer of 15 hectares, to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the Swami Samarth Nagar-Vikhroli Metro 6 depot. The 16 km Metro Line 6 will run along Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and will connect Vikhroli to Andheri Lokhandwala after criss-crossing above the railway tracks on Central Railway and Western Railway.
After hearing senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani for the petitioner and solicitor general Tushar Mehta for the respondents, the three-judge bench said that in view of the liberty already granted in its April 16 order, it was “not inclined to interfere” with HC’s Feb 13 judgment in two connected writ petitions. The plea filed by developer Maheshkumar G Garodia was accordingly dismissed and pending applications were disposed of.
The larger dispute relates to salt pan land in Kanjurmarg leased for 99 years from Oct 15, 1917, for salt manufacture. One of the parcels, Arthur Salt Works, measured about 251 acres, while another parcel, Jenkins Salt Works, was also part of the larger leasehold land. The lease held by the developer Garodia was terminated by the salt department in 2004. The lease period expired in Oct 2016, while a civil suit challenging the termination was pending. In a March 17, 2026 judgment, HC held that the civil suit had become infructuous after expiry of the 99-year lease. With SC now dismissing the challenge to the Feb 13 HC order, that judgment remains undisturbed. The Kanjurmarg land row in Bombay High Court 2019: MVA govt decides to shift proposed Metro 3 car shed from Aarey to Kanjurmarg, citing environmental concerns Oct 2020: Mumbai suburban collector transfers 102 acres at Kanjurmarg to MMRDA for Metro 3 depot. Salt commissioner objects, claims land ownership Dec 2020: Bombay high court stays govt order on Kanjurmarg land transfer 2021–22: Centre and Maharashtra govt continue to dispute ownership of the Kanjurmarg land. Centre claimed rights through salt commissioner and defence estates department June 2022: Mahayuti govt reverses MVA’s decision, calls to shift Metro 3 car shed back to Aarey Aug 2022: Govt withdraws its Kanjurmarg land transfer order 2023: Govt proposes 15 hectares (around 37 acres) at Kanjurmarg for Metro 6 car shed 2023–24: Centre objects to transfer of this land parcel too; state maintains land belongs to Maharashtra Oct 2024: HC orders status quo on the 15-hectare parcel following a challenge over the land May 2025: Centre withdraws its challenge Feb 2026: HC dismisses a private developer’s challenge to transfer of Kanjurmarg land to MMRDA for the Metro 6 depot Depot works proposed * The contractor will undertake construction of a boundary wall for the depot, earthwork filling and construction of a workshop, inspection bay, stabling lines, etc * The depot will have a workshop for major overhauls of all the trains, minor and major repairs, an automatic washing plant and an operations and control centre * All inspection lines, workshop lines and stabling lines are designed to accommodate one eight-car train set each, and space is earmarked for future provision * As per the detailed project report, initially stabling lines will be made for 11 rakes only, but future provision will be made to accommodate 13 rakes in 2031 You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest Mumbai news.
SC, in its April 16 order, also recorded that the 99-year lease had expired during the pendency of the civil suit and said the lease stood terminated “by efflux of time”. The court held that the principal relief sought — a declaration that the lease remained valid and subsisting — could no longer survive after the lease period ended. It clarified, however, that the petitioner was at liberty to pursue any remedy available under law. As the Kanjurmarg depot plan is mired in controversy, MMRDA has proposed a stop-gap arrangement to enable operations on the line until a full-fledged depot is developed at Kanjurmarg. Under the interim arrangement, eight elevated pit lines will be constructed to facilitate routine inspection and maintenance of Metro rakes. The facility will allow staff to carry out regular checks and maintenance without requiring a full-fledged depot. For scheduled periodic overhauling, which requires more specialised facilities, the rakes can be transported to MMRDA’s Mandale depot. This arrangement is intended to enable services to commence while work on the permanent Kanjurmarg depot is taken forward. Download the TOI App.