Thane | September 11, 2026
A dispute over the proposed alignment of Thane’s ring metro has led to a public protest, with local municipal representatives opposing an alternative route suggested by Transport Minister and MLA Pratap Sarnaik. Residents and local representatives have said the project should proceed on its original alignment.
The protest was held on Thursday evening at Aai Mataji Chowk, where citizens formed a human chain against the proposal to modify the approved original route. Municipal representatives Dilip Bartakke and Kanchan Chindarkar led the demonstration, according to a report by Loksatta – Thane.
The original alignment was proposed to run from Lokmanya Nagar through Shivai Nagar and via Upvan. Sarnaik has opposed this route and suggested an alternative alignment passing through the Lokmanya TMT depot, Aai Mata Temple, Kores Road, Vartak Nagar Naka and Shastri Nagar.
The disagreement has created an open dispute between the transport minister and local representatives from the same political party. The local representatives and participating residents have taken the position that Thane needs the ring metro, but that it should be built along the original route rather than the proposed alternative.
Residents opposing the route change claimed that altering the original alignment would cause significant loss to citizens. The report did not provide details of the specific land, property, access or relocation impacts cited by protesters, nor did it include an official response from Sarnaik explaining the reasons for proposing the alternative route.
The route dispute concerns the alignment of an intra-city metro project intended to connect several parts of Thane. The locations named in the competing alignments include residential areas, a transport depot, a major road corridor and neighbourhood junctions. Any change to the alignment would therefore affect the areas included in the project’s route and the communities expecting connectivity under the original proposal.
The protest also brings the project’s route selection process into public view. While local representatives have opposed the proposed change, the available report does not establish whether the alternative alignment has been formally approved, whether a revised detailed project proposal has been issued, or whether construction and tender milestones have been altered.
The immediate issue remains unresolved. Local representatives and residents are demanding that the ring metro retain its original alignment, while Sarnaik has proposed a different route. Further clarification from the transport department and the authorities responsible for approving the metro alignment will determine whether the alternative route proceeds for formal consideration.
