Kalu Dam Crucial to Resolving Thane District’s Water Issues

Speed Up Land Acquisition and Prepare Immediate Rehabilitation Plan – Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s Directives

Mumbai : The Kalu Dam project, which is vital for resolving water issues in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Badlapur, Bhiwandi, and rural Bhiwandi, must be completed within the stipulated timeframe. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today directed that all concerned administrative departments coordinate to expedite land acquisition and rehabilitation processes for the project.

A meeting on the matter was held at Mantralaya, attended by Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, Additional Chief Secretary to the Deputy CM Asim Gupta, Water Resources Department Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Kapoor, Forest Department Additional Chief Secretary Milind Mhaiskar, Project Coordination Secretary Sanjay Belasare, Thane District Collector Ashok Shingare, and Executive Director of the Water Resources Department Atul Kapole. District officials from Palghar and forest officers from Thane and Palghar participated via video conferencing.

The Deputy CM emphasized that the Kalu Dam project is key to addressing the water crisis in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Although the project was approved years ago, urgent administrative action is needed to complete private land acquisition, forest land acquisition, and rehabilitation work. He instructed the Palghar District Collector to submit details of available land in the district for compensatory afforestation related to forest land acquisition by Monday.

Shinde further directed the Thane District Collector to coordinate among different departments for all administrative procedures related to land acquisition. He insisted that a rehabilitation plan be prepared immediately for the villages affected by the project, to accelerate the acquisition process. Given the significance of the Kalu project for resolving the persistent water issues in the areas of Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Badlapur, Bhiwandi, and Bhiwandi Rural, the Deputy CM urged that it be completed within the set timeline.