The Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council has received a show-cause notice from the Ambernath tehsildar after a revenue department inquiry found that soil was allegedly dumped in the Ulhas River for Chhath Puja preparations, according to a report by Loksatta – Thane. The notice seeks the civic body’s explanation within seven days.
The soil-filling work reportedly continued for two days, with earthmovers and dumpers depositing hundreds of brass of soil in the riverbed. The activity was undertaken to create facilities for Chhath Puja, the report said. The allegation is significant because the work was attributed not to a private party but to the municipal council itself, the local authority responsible for civic administration in the area.
Ambernath Tehsildar Amit Puri issued the notice to the chief officer of the Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council. The notice followed a revenue department inspection that concluded that the filling had been carried out by the municipal body, according to the report. The civic council has been asked to submit its explanation within seven days.
The affected stretch of the Ulhas River falls within an area identified by the government as a blue line, or flood-control line. Under the restrictions applicable to such areas, construction or the dumping of soil that could obstruct the river’s flow is prohibited, the report said. The rules are intended to protect the river channel and preserve its capacity during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding.
The reported filling has prompted objections from environmental activists and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena members. They have sought criminal action against the organisers and officials involved in the work. The report did not specify whether any criminal case had been registered at the time of publication.
The notice places the municipal council’s response at the centre of the next stage of the matter. The civic body’s written explanation, along with any decision by the revenue authorities, will determine whether further administrative or legal action is taken. The report did not provide the council’s response to the allegations or details of any order directing removal of the soil.
The immediate issue is the alleged alteration of the riverbed within a flood-control zone. The revenue department’s seven-day deadline is the next stated milestone in the proceedings.
