Mumbai, Aug 18: In a major push to boost transportation across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and ease severe traffic congestion in Pune, the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday approved two major infrastructure projects: Metro Line 13 (Mira Bhayander to Vasai‑Virar) and the eastern extension of the Pune Ring Road (Sortapwadi to Varve‑Shivare).

Passing through Thane and Palghar districts, Metro Line 13 (Mira Bhayander to Vasai‑Virar) will be executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at an estimated total cost of Rs 17,724.99 crore. The line is 25.03 km long, comprising 21.78 km of elevated tracks and 3.25 km of underground tracks. Out of 16 proposed stations, 13 will be elevated and three underground.

The project includes a 4.92 km integrated double‑decker structure over Vasai Creek connecting Panju Island, featuring a six‑lane (3+3) road alongside the metro line. A metro depot is proposed at Chikhal Dongri. The line will connect key areas including Mira Road, Vasai, Nalasopara, Naigaon, and Virar.

The metro line will seamlessly integrate with the Naigaon, Nalasopara, and Virar suburban railway stations, while offering an interchange with Metro Line 9 at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium. Feeder bus services are planned at all stations. The project requires 24.84 hectares of land acquisition and is scheduled for completion within five years from approval.

CM Fadnavis instructed officials to complete land acquisition and access road construction within the next six months. Daily ridership on Metro Line 13 is projected to reach approximately 4.49 lakh passengers by 2031.

The project is expected to cut travel time by 50 pc compared to road transport, reduce private vehicle usage and highway congestion, lower carbon emissions, and strengthen connectivity between industrial, logistics, and suburban centres.

Further, to mitigate traffic congestion in Pune, the government granted administrative approval for the revised cost proposal of Rs 10,502.36 crore for the eastern extension of the Pune Ring Road. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will implement the project.

A 31.805 km access‑controlled expressway will stretch from Sortapwadi (Valti) on the Pune‑Solapur Road to Varve Budruk (Shivare) on the Pune‑Satara Road. The project aims to divert interstate and intrastate transit traffic away from Pune city limits to ease urban bottlenecks.

Once integrated, the entire 168.981 km Ring Road network will form a continuous access‑controlled bypass. Land acquisition is 80 pc complete, with project completion targeted for June 2029. The expressway will feature six lanes (three on each side) with a design speed limit of 120 km/h.

Key structural features include one interchange, three major bridges, five minor bridges, 18 elevated structures or flyovers, and four tunnels, along with roadside afforestation and landscaping at interchanges, said the government release.

Mumbai: Anti-Narcotics Cell has claimed to have arrested a Bihari rickshaw driver-drug smuggler who was running a drug trafficking network in Mumbai. The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) received information about a 31-year-old Bihari rickshaw driver that a drug smuggler from Mumbai was going to come here to buy and sell drugs, on the basis of which the ANC Worli unit laid a trap and arrested a suspect from Bandra. When he was searched, 10 kilograms of drugs worth Rs 10 crore were recovered from his possession. The above accused had come here to sell drugs in Mumbai. After his arrest, the ANC has become involved in tracing his associates and drug network. He also has three children and is a resident of Bihar, so the police are investigating every aspect related to his connection to Bihar and Mumbai. This operation has been carried out by ANC DCP Pranima Chogle on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti.

Pune, Aug 18: Two men were apprehended after police found stolen liquor from a shop in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar on Tuesday, officials said.

Six bottles of foreign liquor, valued at Rs 27,200, were recovered from the accused.

According to the officials, the youths were apprehended by a team from Yerwada police station near the GST office in Kalyani Nagar.

The investigators said that the accused have been identified as Rohan Ram Kamble (28) and Amit Mahadev Sitapure (27).

They also added that a case has been registered against both the accused under Sections 303(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

While patrolling the area on Tuesday, police personnel Sandeep Jaybhay received information that two suspicious-looking youths were standing near the GST office and might be in possession of stolen goods, the officials said.

Acting on this information, the police team arrived at the spot and intercepted the two youths. They failed to provide satisfactory answers during questioning. Upon searching the bag they were carrying, the police found six bottles of foreign liquor, the officials added.

The police took both individuals to the Yerwada police station for questioning, during which, according to the officials, the accused admitted that the liquor bottles had been stolen from the ‘Tonic Outlet’ shop in Kalyani Nagar.

According to the police, the recovered liquor is linked to a theft case registered at the Yerwada police station.

The officials said that Sub-Inspector Kishor Berad is conducting investigations into the matter to ascertain the nexus and see if the accused duo has been involved in similar incidents in the past.

Necessary legal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the case, the investigators said.