MUMBAI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) - Mumbai will add a cumulative 42 km to the city's metro network for three metro lines to provide relief from congestion to the commuters.

Heavy traffic on WEH at Jogeshwari, on September 5, 2019 in Mumbai, India. (Photo: VCG)

The foundation stone for the proposed three metro lines of 9.2 km, 12.7 km and 20.7 km connecting various locations in the city and adjacent towns, along with a 32-storey command centre to operate and control the 14 metro lines in the city, was laid down Saturday by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The three new metro lines will embark the city further toward creating a metro network across the length and breadth of the city and adjacent area in the next four to five years. Of these, six corridors spread over 139 km has already commenced project work that promises to carry more than 5 million commuters every day and in turn save time, fuel and reduce vehicular congestion on roads, a statement from the government said.

India's western state of Maharashtra with Mumbai as its political capital has a population of 13 million of its own and it goes up further to 20.7 million along with its adjacent towns now part of the city as part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The entire metro project network when commissioned in the next few years, will see 10 million passengers travelling daily using these 14 metro lines equal to the suburban railway network, state government officials said.