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KDMC wants traffic post removed for road project; cops demand plot
Kalyan
Kalyan
The ambitious ring road project in Kalyan has hit a roadblock.
A traffic police chowky is on the proposed route and has to be removed.
Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has written to the traffic division, asking it to shift the chowky to pave way for the project.
The ₹800-crore project by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), aims at decongesting Kalyan.
“The traffic police chowky is next to the Durgadi chowk. The civic body has already acquired the land for the project. Vehicles which are seized have been parked at the chowky,” said a KDMC official, who requested anonymity of name.
The civic body has asked the traffic police to park seized vehicles on a vacant land near water tank at Adharwadi jail road.
“The vehicles which are seized by the traffic police can be parked on this KDMC plot,” said the officer.
The traffic police have claimed that Durgadi Chowk is a prominent place in the city and needs a chowky and office for staff traffic wardens to keep a watch on the traffic movement.
They are demanding KDMC to provide an alternative space for the police chowky.
“Durgadi Chowk has several projects coming up. Durgadi bridge will be widened to six lanes. A Metro line has been proposed too. The chowk connects Kalyan city to Bhiwandi and Thane. So, we need an office at this place as it will become busier than what it is now,” said Sukhdev Patil, senior traffic police inspector, Kalyan.
He added, “We have asked the civic body to provide us a chowky at an alternative space nearby so that our work is not affected. The chowky is used by our woman wardens and towing vans are also parked her.”
As per the traffic police, a total of three wards and three cops are stationed at the chowky in day time and two wardens and two cops at night time to keep watch on vehicles moving to and from Kalyan and Bhiwandi.
Patil said that after the ring road is completed there is will be traffic movement at the chowk from Gandhare, Umbarde, Saparde, Titwala, Mharal, Bapgaon, Bhiwandi and Thane. There is lot of major constructions works going on at these places which will lead to increase in the traffic movement.
“In the coming years, we will have to deploy more traffic cops at this chowk. If we don’t have permanent office for cops, it will be difficult for them to operate,” said Patil.
As per the traffic police, at least 1lakh vehicles ply on this chowk daily.
KDMC has not yet replied to this demand by the traffic police.
“The ring road project is a crucial one and hence it is necessary to shift the chowky. If needed, we can demolish the chowky as it is not a legal one,” said Bharat Pawar, ward officer, KDMC.
He said that the traffic police should themselves propose for a new chowky and get it built at another spot.
Almost 10 years after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) proposed a 26-km ring road in Kalyan connecting Dombivli (West) to Titwala village, the three-phase project is being carried by four agencies.
One of the major hindrances which caused delay in the project was land acquisition, rehabilitation and ‘inadequate’ compensation to the affected families.
The road from Hedutane (Dombivali) to Titwala (Kalyan) will benefit lakhs of people who travel within Kalyan Dombivli. Presently the Kalyan Shilphata road which is used to connect between the Kalyan- Dombivli and Titwala is the most congested route. The ring will streamline traffic.
The work on one of the segment of the ring road between Durgadi and Gandhare in Kalyan (West) is in progress.
The road will benefit over 60 lakh people, as per the MMRDA report. This population is not only from Kalyan and Dombivli but also from the nearby Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi and Thane cities.
