Kalyan on 21 October:
The actual implementation of the water transport project included not only Kalyan but the entire Thane district, which could be very useful in terms of breaking traffic jams, is going start soon.
However, shocking news has emerged that only Kalyan, from where this water transport was to be started, has been removed. Opposing this, the Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Dr Srikanth Shinde demanded to implement the water transport project as per the original plan.
There is no city in Thane district where there is no problem of traffic congestion. Kalyan and Dombivali cities have been plagued by this problem for the past many years. As there is already immense load of vehicles within the city, vehicles are routed to Kalyan Dombivali from the main road from Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath, Badlapur which are adjacent to Kalyan. Due to such a large number of vehicles, the roads here are becoming very narrow.
To reduce stress on road and rail traffic and provide relief to the people, Kalyan MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde and Kha. Rajan Vichare is in constant talks with the central government for this shipping project. The central government also approved the Kalyan-Thane-Vasai and Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai water transport projects.
However, now that the actual implementation of the project is commencing, the center is preparing to reduce costs by changing the original design of the project.
The first phase of water transport included construction of jetties at 10 places including Kalyan, Dombivali, Thane, Gamukh, Vasai, development of waterways and direct transport.
But now the central government has decided to change it and has built only four jetties in Dombivli, Kalher, Kolshat and Vasai. Although the jetty was originally built to the west of Dombivli, it is not very convenient to go there. Instead, the construction of a ghat on Kalyan Bay, which is central to cities like Ulhasnagar and Ambarnath, will benefit thousands of people.
Also, Thane Municipal Corporation has played an important role in this project and at least Thane should get the maintenance right and not the implementation. He also demanded that the water transport project should be implemented as per the original plan.