BOISAR | September 5, 2026 — Construction of the Urse check dam on the Surya River in Palghar district remains incomplete despite repeated extensions, prompting local residents to demand that the irrigation department remove the contractor and appoint a new agency to finish the work.
The project, being implemented by the Palghar Irrigation Department, was sanctioned to support water availability for Vasai-Virar city as well as villages along the river. The Urse structure is one of five Konkan-style check dams approved on the Surya River across the limits of villages in Dahanu and Palghar talukas.
Work on all five check dams began in January 2021, with an initial completion period of 36 months ending in January 2024. Four structures — at Ghol, Chinchare, Ambivli and Gargav — were completed within the planned period, according to the report. Construction of the Urse check dam, however, has been delayed.
The report identifies J.G. Champanerkar as the contractor responsible for the Urse work. Residents have alleged that construction has proceeded slowly despite extensions. According to the report, work has typically restarted around the beginning of May each year and stopped in June before the monsoon, contributing to the delay.
The project has received an approved allocation of Rs 16.64 crore through the Palghar Irrigation Department. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had directed that the work be completed by June 30, 2026. The report states that the deadline has passed without completion.
The five check dams were planned amid concerns over water availability in rural parts of Palghar district, including Dahanu, Vikramgad and Palghar talukas. Local residents had opposed the transfer of water from the Surya Dam project to Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayandar, citing the need for sufficient water for drinking and agriculture in their own communities. The Pani Bachao Sangharsh Samiti had previously held protests over the issue.
The chain of five check dams was subsequently planned to improve local access to stored water. MMRDA has provided Rs 70.40 crore in financial assistance for the five projects. The structures are intended to benefit Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation and villages along the river, while also supporting groundwater recharge and irrigation.
The five check dams are expected to create a combined storage capacity of 2.29 million cubic metres, according to the report. The stored water is expected to help raise groundwater levels, reduce drinking-water shortages during summer and support farmers cultivating land along the river. The walls of the structures are also expected to provide alternative crossings between villages on both sides of the river.
Sachin Patil, executive engineer with the Palghar Irrigation Department, said he would visit the incomplete structure personally after the report of the delay. He said the department would identify the reasons for the stalled work and direct the contractor to complete it urgently after the monsoon. Local residents, meanwhile, have called for the remaining work to be withdrawn from the existing contractor and assigned to a new agency.
