‘Ghat being built on Ulhas river using MLA funds illegal, raze it'
Thane: State irrigation department declared illegal and ordered the demolition of Antilia ghat being built at a cost of Rs 7 crore by the public works department (PWD) through the funds of BJP MLA Kumar Ailani on Ulhas River in Ulhasnagar's Shahad area.
The direction to Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) came on a complaint by activist Sarita Khanchandani.
In 2022, PWD started work after Ailani disbursed MLA funds to construct the ghat for Ganpati immersions and a walking path for citizens behind Regency Antilia housing society.
Khanchandani first complained to UMC that trees were illegally cut on the banks of Ulhas River. When UMC did not respond, she complained to the irrigation department, under which the river area falls, as well as the Thane collector's office.
"Google images of the riverbank clearly show that before the construction of the ghat, there was greenery. However, current images reveal that the greenery has vanished. The comparison between the before and after images is striking. Shockingly, the UMC commissioner, who also serves as the tree authority head, personally attended the bhoomipujan," she said in her complaint.
"...age-old heritage trees were chopped down, leaving the riverbank's soil loose and vulnerable to flooding.
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To date, no data or information has been provided regarding the felling of these trees," Khanchandani alleged in the complaint.
Following the complaint by the activist, the irrigation department, in its written order to UMC, said, "Timely action is expected from urban civic bodies for the removal of encroachments and unauthorised dumping along the river. Accordingly, it is requested that your department take immediate and necessary action to remove these unauthorised constructions and fillings in the Ulhas riverbed in connection with the complaint.
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Ailani, however, denied that the construction was illegal. "Whatever work is being done, PWD is doing it with permission of the Thane collector's office. During Ganpati, people have to go to Kalyan for visarjan, so a ghat is being built there. We have planted about 200 trees in the area so far...our target is to plant 1,000 trees."
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