The
residential areas on the arterial Ghodbunder Road
in Thane may witness water logging during the
forthcoming monsoons apprehends the Thane Municipal
Corporation (TMC). The civic administration blames
the state authority for not addressing the water
discharge needs of the area during its recent
concretisation project carried out on the road
linking the Eastern Express Highway to the Western
Express Highway.
Municipal
commissioner Nandkumar Jantre made the shocking
revelations during a high level meeting held in
the state headquarters at Mantralaya recently.
The meeting was called by state chief minister
Ashok Chavan to take review of the preparedness
of the civic and state authorities across the
state in preventing and tackling flood situation
during the oncoming rainy season.
Jantre
informed the dignitary that the stretch of the
Ghodbunder highway falling within the jurisdiction
of the TMC did not have proper water discharge
system. The stretch required at least 12 culverts,
but there are only four. The culverts were required
to drain down waters from nallahs and storm water
drains leading down from the high rise mountains
overlooking the highway road to the creek with
natural force.
The
TMC commissioner also informed the CM that the
highway stretch already had eight major nallahs
flowing below the road before the recent cementing
of the highway road. He claimed that the Mumbai
Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)
and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation
(MSRDC) did not take the issue of providing culverts
seriously during the recent concretisation of
the 11.5 kilometres stretch of the highway.
Notably,
the state organisations provided only four culverts
during the road concretisation project. The number
of culverts was highly insufficient to meet the
water discharge demand of the fast growing area.
The
CM was also informed that some flooding prone
areas on the highway road including Kasarwadavli,
Majiwada, Gaimukh as well as Ovla would witness
flooding during heavy showers in the absence of
the culverts. The state dignitary was also informed
that some stretches of on either side of the highway
road would also witness water logging during heavy
rains.
Chavan
called upon the civic bodies and the state authorities
to work in close co-operation to void such troubles.
The MMRDA and the TMC would henceforth work in
close co-operation on the subject in the city.
Barring
the Ghodbunder Road the corporation has taken
up the task of flood prevention on a massive scale
from the beginning of this month. Nallah cleaning
work has commenced on a full scale all over the
city. Particular attention is being paid to the
areas under the Mumbra Ward Council (MWC) which
witnessed the maximum trouble during the deluge
of 26/7.
Jantre
has been taking a round of Mumbra, Kausa, Diva
and Sheel areas at frequent intervals to supervise
the task himself. Arvind Akashi, the Assistant
Municipal Commissioner (AMC) in charge of the
MWC took bold steps to ensure free flow of waters
through the nallahs. The AMC cleared the nallah
stretch on Agasan road at Diva on Wednesday afternoon
without protection from the local police despite
the fact that the owner of the land tried to resist
the move.
courtesy
: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
