Metro 3: Even as activists debate ridership, congested areas soon to be within reach

After years of controversy, delays, and rising costs, Mumbai's first underground metro, Line 3, also known as the Aqua Line, is finally set to become fully operational by September 30, on the eve of Navratri.

- Sweety Bhagwat

It will connect six business districts, 30 employment hubs, 12 educational institutions, 11 major hospitals, 10 transport hubs, and both airports, while also providing long-awaited connectivity to Kalbadevi, Girgaon, Nariman Point, and Cuffe Parade.

Currently, only the 22km stretch between Aarey JVLR and Worli's Acharya Atre Chowk is operational, with a modest ridership of about 50,000 passengers on weekdays, rising to 70,000 on weekends due to its proximity to Siddhivinayak Temple. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), the project's implementing authority, expects ridership to rise sharply once the line is extended up to Cuffe Parade.