Rich Thane is poor on infrastructure front….Nitin Yeshwantrao
MUMBAI: Thane ranks as the third richest district in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune, given the high per capita income from a booming service sector and an age-old industrial base. The region, however, woefully lacks basic infrastructure and effective urban planning, thanks to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s skewed priorities.
In the last 10 years, MMRDA’s biggest contribution to the infrastructure needs of the highly-populated cities and towns of Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar, Badlapur and Ambernath has been the construction of skywalks, collectively costing over Rs 100 crore.
Yet another claim to glory for the planning agency, with jurisdiction from Mumbai to Vasai-Virar and Alibaug, and which is controlled by CM Prithviraj Chavan, has been the construction of over 22,000 toilet blocks in Thane district totally costing Rs 223 crore over 10 years, according to data complied by MMRDA and provided to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC from Thane, Sanjay Kelkar.
“There has been no real-time investment in improving basic infrastructure in Thane district. The region lacks basic urban services such as an underground sewerage facility, supply and storage of clean drinking water, roads and public transport services. None of the urban local bodies in Thane district has a dumping groundIt is really shameful to see that the planning body’s priority is the construction of skywalks,” Kelkar said.
MMRDA’s achievements in Thane include the construction of a skywalk at Kopri taken up after protests by citizens and political parties, besides the setting up of 7,000 toilet seats under the Nirmal Abhiyan sanitization project. “The key projects of having three flyovers on Ghodbunder road are progressing at a snail’s pace. Only 10% work has been completed when the scheduled date of completion was January 31, 2011. MMRDA has failed to deliver where it is needed the most,” said resident Mahesh Nawar.
The planners at MMRDA have come under criticism from citizen groups and political leaders, who point out that the body’s special attention to Mumbai has adversely affected development planning in Thane. “Today, Mumbai has far outgrown its capacity to tackle more people. The need of the hour is to spend on infrastructure and connectivity in adjoining Thane district, which is now the preferred residential destination, given the high cost of real estate in Mumbai. If connectivity and transport services are improved, the economy will get a boost, and Mumbai will soon be the suburbs of Thane,” said Shiv Sena leader and legislator Eknath Shinde.
MMRDA’s ‘fascination’ with skywalks has come under criticism from activist and Vasai legislator Vivek Pandit, who alleged that the project was “contract-driven” and taken up without undertaking a survey or seeking public opinion..”MMRDA constructed a one-km skywalk at Vasai for Rs 18 crore. Today, it is used largely by collegians to pass time. I had deputed surveyors for three days from December 27 last year to check the footfalls. Of the 90,000 who walked to Vasai station, only 1.05% used the skywalk. Was there a study conducted before taking up such projects at the cost of public money?” he asked.
He said the while the population was growing manifold in Thane district, MMRDA had been neglecting it infrastructure needs. “The people’s basic needs are better drainage, clean drinking water and improved road connectivity. Instead, projects seem to be taken up in consultation with contractors,” he said.