Thane: A Rasta Roko Andolan will be carried out by the former corporators of Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) on Friday, November 4, as the work on the Waldhuni River Bridge has not yet started even after the end of monsoon.
Earlier on October 18, a few UMC corporators had met the Ulhasnagar civic body chief Aziz Sheikh and given him a letter to start the work of Waldhuni River Bridge on a priority basis ahead of Chhath Puja, and also warned that they will agitate if the work does not start.
Former corporators Savita Torane Ragde, Gajanan Shelke, Jameel Khan, Shivaji Ragde, Feroze Khan demanded that the construction of the bridge connecting Ulhasnagar 3 to Ulhasnagar Station and Dharamdas cow stable to Sanjay Gandhi Nagar should be started as soon as possible. It has been a few months and passengers, students and motorists going to Ulhas railway station are suffering a lot.
The bridge over the Waldhuni river in Ulhasnagar was demolished by the Ulhasnagar civic body ahead of monsoon due to its dangerous condition. Also, the civic body in April this year said that the work of Waldhuni River bridge will be completed in six months time.
Shivaji Ragde, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) city chief of Ulhasnagar said, "We had asked UMC chief to start the Waldhuni River bridge work soon after the monsoon that too on a priority basis because the pedestrian, motorists and college students were facing lots of problems to reach Ulhasnagar railway station from CHM college. We had warned the civic body chief that there will be a strong protest after Chhath Puja if the work will not start and accordingly to draw the officials attention a Rasta Roko protest is going to be held at Ulhasnagar 3 at Gulraj Chowk on Friday, November 4 in afternoon."
Earlier in April, UMC city engineer Mahesh Sitlani said that the tender process for the project has finished, and the work order for the bridge will be given in 2-3 days, following which the work of the bridge will be completed in six months -- but the promise turned to be false.
Shashikant Dayama, a social activist from Ulhasnagar said, "The Waldhuni River Bridge every monsoon get submerged into water and there is always struggle to reach the Ulhasnagar station. Since the work has not yet started we are forced to take a longer route to reach the station. The officials from UMC should soon start the work without any delay. They should have started the work earlier in April and would have finished ahead of monsoon. The Rasta Roko protest on Friday will definitely wake up the UMC officials who are sleeping."
UMC Commissioner Aziz Shaikh was unavailable for comment.
