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Article
in Thane Plus dated 12th April 2000 -
State Government's Plan To Capitalise On Water Bodies Faces
Oppositions by Sameer Pokarna
Even before
the state government's proposal, to explore the possibility
of passenger and goods transport through Thane's creeks and
rivers, could take shape local organisations in the city have
already fielded oppositions to the plan.
Rajaram Salvi, president of the Agri Sena, while declaring his
stance, claimed that the government department has been extracting
large quantities of sand from creeks and rivers in order to
make them deep enough for large sized boats to operate. This
process has enormous repercussions because of it continues,
plantations on both sides of the rivers and creeks will be affected.
It would also adversely affect agriculture, railway bridges
over the creeks and roads fears Salvi.
He points out that any dredging of the district's rivers was
prohibited a few years ago because of the fear that it would
reduce the life-span of bridges and other utilities constructed
around the creeks. As it stands, the government plans to use
creeks in
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Photograph
by Nasser Lalljee
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Khoda,
Vasai and Thane and a few rivers like the Ulhas and
Vaitarana
for water transportation.
The only problem is
that these stretches
already house two
railway bridges near
Bhayander,part of a
highway and roads
near Kasheli, Mumbra
and Kalyan, not to
mention the existence of water pipeline nother fear
expressed by Salvi is the ousting of large number
of people residing on the banks of the various creeks
and rivers. He believes that once transportation on
these rivers begins these people, who have been using
these water bodies to earn their bread and butter
for decades, will be unable to do so.
Government officials maintain that these fears have
no basis and that people will be able to continue
with their activities. As for the dangers to bridges,they
assure that enough care will be taken to protect the
infrastructure. 
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