Get the Thane road name right, siblings tell Google officials

The Bhandigare brothers received an acknowledgement from Google officials for correcting the name of Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Marg, which had earlier incorrectly been named Raunak Residency Road.

If you are a resident living around Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Marg in Thane, you must thank the Bhandigare brothers for getting the name of your area on Google map corrected.

Owing to the error, fleet cabs drivers or delivery boys would often find it difficult to find the area. (Praful Gangurde/HT)

Prasad Bhandigare, 25 and Vivek Bhandigare, 20, found out that the name of the road from Vartak Nagar junction to Bhimnagar area on the navigation tool is that of a residential complex, Raunak Residency Road, instead of Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Marg.

Owing to the error, fleet cabs drivers or delivery boys would often find it difficult to find the area.

Prasad and Vivek took the onus to get the name corrected to make it convenient for cab drivers and residents alike. However, the road to get the name changed was not easy.

Prasad said, “ I gave my feedback to the officials at Google, requesting them to change the name of this road. Initially there was no reply from Google.”

When Prasad’s attempts bore no fruit, his brother Vivek joined him.

“Vivek and I kept sending the feedback to Google. We may have sent around 10-15 feedback. Finally, Google officials conducted a survey of the road and changed its name.”

The Google officials sent an acknowledgement to the Bhandigare brothers.

The brothers had approached the ward office of Thane Municipal Corporation too, before going to Google but did not receive help from civic officials.

An officer from Vartak Nagar ward said, “The duo had approached us, to ask if the name of the area was officially changed. We had not changed the name of the road in the last decade, nor were there any proposals to change the name from its original Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Road. We however cannot change the name on Google map unless we get written complaints from the residents. No one had filed any objection or complaint on the road’s name.”