Ulhasnagar civic body asks state to direct PWD to raze illegal ghat on Ulhas River

ULHASNAGAR: After the State Irrigation Department declared the ghat being built on the Ulhas River from BJP MLA Kumar Ailani's funds illegal and ordered the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) to demolish it, the Municipal Corporation has now stated that the PWD should carry out the demolition because the ghat was constructed by the state PWD department.

In such a situation, the irrigation department can direct the state PWD to take action.After declaring this ghat built from MLA funds illegal, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders accused the BJP MLA of misusing the funds for illegal construction and demanded an investigation into the entire matter as to how illegal construction took place on the Ulhas River. Sarita Khanchandani, who exposed the entire incident, alleges that hundreds of trees located on the river bank were cut, and cement construction was done illegally inside the river bed.

A big wall was also built to divert the flow of the river, which could cause a flood situation in the surrounding villages during heavy rains.On the complaint of Khanchandani, the irrigation department recently declared this construction illegal and directed the local UMC to take demolition action on it. However, while talking to TOI, UMC Commissioner Manisha Awhale said that the construction being declared illegal was done through the state PWD, so they will write a letter to the irrigation department and tell them to ask the state PWD department to take action.

Sources said that more than Rs 3 crore was spent out of the Rs 7 crore project cost. Earlier, while talking to TOI, MLA Kumar Ailani declared this Antilia Ghat being built in the Ulhas River as legal and said that he planted 200 trees in place of the cut trees. Seeing the matter getting serious, UBT's Ulhasnagar Deputy City Chief Dilip Mishra accused the local BJP MLA Kumar Ailani of misusing public money and carrying out illegal construction. He demanded the state govt set up a committee to investigate the entire matter and take action against the guilty officers who allowed the misuse of funds for illegal construction without permission.The Ulhas River, a vital water source for around 50 lakh people living in the MMR region, including Ulhasnagar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ambernath, and Badlapur cities, always remains in the headlines for pollution-related complaints from citizens. Earlier, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued orders to different authorities to address the pollution of the Ulhas River. These orders include imposing environmental damage compensation, forming investigation committees, and directing govt bodies to take action.