THANE, May 4 -- The Thane Metro Rail, also known as the Ring Route, envisioned to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity to business hubs on the city's western side, is facing growing opposition from residents and political parties. Residents argue that instead of reducing congestion, the proposed internal metro could worsen the situation because several stations are planned within densely populated residential areas along Ghodbunder Road. Residents and local representatives recently met with officials from Maha Metro (Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited), the project's executing agency, to voice their concerns. Representatives from Hiranandani Meadows, Rodas, Rutu Estate and Hiranandani Estate attended the meeting, along with Shravan Hardikar, the managing director of Maha Metro, and senior project officials. MLA Sanjay Kelkar, who was also present in the meeting, said residents expressed concerns that constructing stations in densely populated areas-where schools, hospitals and high foot traffic already exist-could lead to severe congestion. "I have instructed Maha Metro officials to conduct an on-site inspection and find a solution in the public interest," he said. The tender process for the Rs.12,200-crore project, backed by both central and state governments, is complete, and work is expected to begin soon. The 29-km corridor will run along Thane's western periphery, comprising 22 stations. The alignment is flanked by the Ulhas River on one side and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) on the other. Girish Patil, a resident of Hiranandani Estate, said, "We don't want this metro. We already have internal roads, an upcoming metro that is nearly complete, and Ghodbunder Road has been expanded by merging the service roads. Most residential areas are a maximum of 2-3 km from Ghodbunder Road and Metro Line 4 (Wadala-Kasarwadwali), and about 1 km from the Yeoor jungle to the west. These distances can be easily covered by road. The government is making decisions without consulting locals and wasting public money." Manoj Pradhan, district president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar), questioned the rationale behind the project. "Is there really a need for a Rs.12,200-crore ring route metro for Thane? Roads are already shrinking due to ongoing metro work. Why introduce another similar project?" he asked. Pradhan suggested that instead of spending the money on an internal metro, allocating Rs.1,000 crore to strengthen public transport and introduce electric buses could significantly ease congestion. He also raised financial concerns, noting that 37% of the project will be funded through loans. "The government is already short of funds. How will this debt be repaid, and where will the remaining 63% come from?" he questioned. A section of farmers has also opposed the project. They oppose the acquisition of about 44 acres of land for a car shed, fearing displacement. Environmentalists, too, have raised concerns about the large-scale tree cutting between Anand Nagar and Saket for road works. The Thane Municipal Corporation permitted the felling of around 3,000 trees for the ring railway project....