₹60L sanctioned for permanent bridge at Murbad village
Following an HT report, Thane's district planning committee approved ₹60 lakh for a permanent bridge in Fangulgavhan, resolving long-term monsoon transportation issues.
Mumbai: Less than a week after HT reported about residents of Fangulgavhan gram panchayat in Murbad taluka building a makeshift bridge over the swelling stream in their area by pooling resources, the district planning committee of Thane approved a budget of ₹60 lakh to construct a permanent bridge at the spot.
“After reading the report in HT, district collector Ashok Shingare held consultations with guardian minister Shambhuraj Desai and other elected representatives. He obtained technical and administrative approvals within three days and secured a budget of ₹60 lakhs for the bridge,” the district public relations officer told HT.
The approval granted by the district planning committee on August 8 said the bridge would provide a permanent solution to the troubles faced by the tribal community during the monsoon every year.
“Construction will commence soon, and the bridge will permanently resolve the transportation issues for the tribal community. The collector has instructed concerned officials to complete all necessary procedures before the code of conduct (for the upcoming assembly polls) comes into effect,” said the district public relations officer.
Fangulgavhan panchayat includes three revenue villages and four tribal hamlets with about 2,500 people. The Moroshi Ashram School in the panchayat attracts many tribal students, especially from the hamlets of Fangulgavhan, Sakharwadi, and Nirgudpada. These hamlets are situated about five kilometers away from the school and connected via a rugged trail that crosses a large stream. The stream gets inundated during the monsoon, endangering the lives of students and commuters.
On August 5, HT had reported that in the first week of August, as the stream swelled owing to heavy rainfall, a student was swept away before being rescued by locals. The incident prompted residents to build an unconventional temporary bridge at the site by pooling resources and labour.
The villagers had been requesting this bridge for the past 15 years, but the authorities had ignored their pleas. However, after HT’s report, a team from the planning committee visited the village and submitted a report to the district collector, based on which the approval was granted on August 8.