Palghar | September 5, 2026
Construction of the Urse barrage on the Surya River in Palghar district remains incomplete despite repeated extensions, with residents demanding that the irrigation department remove the contractor and assign the remaining work to a new agency.
The Konkan-style barrage is one of five structures planned on the Surya River to support drinking water and irrigation needs in the region. The other four barrages, at Ghol, Chinchare, Ambivli and Gargav, have reportedly been completed, while work at Urse has remained stalled.
The five projects were approved within the limits of villages in Dahanu and Palghar talukas. Construction began in January 2021, and the original 36-month completion period was scheduled to end in January 2024. The Maharashtra irrigation department received an allocation of Rs 16.64 crore for the Urse barrage. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had directed that the work be completed by June 30, 2026.
According to the report, the contractor, J.G. Champanerkar, has repeatedly failed to complete the project. Residents said work generally begins at the start of May and is stopped in June before the monsoon, contributing to delays in completing the barrage within the scheduled period. The report did not include a statement from the contractor explaining the delays.
The five-barrage plan was prepared after local opposition to the diversion of water from the Surya dam project for Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayandar. Residents in parts of Palghar, including rural areas of Dahanu, Vikramgad and Palghar talukas, have raised concerns about shortages of water for drinking and farming. The Pani Bachav Sangharsh Samiti has held protests over the issue, according to the report.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has provided Rs 70.40 crore in financial assistance for the five barrages. The structures are intended to benefit Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation as well as villages along the river. Together, they are expected to create 2.29 million cubic metres of water storage in the Surya riverbed, help raise groundwater levels and reduce summer drinking-water shortages. The barrage walls are also expected to provide alternative road links between villages on both sides of the river.
Sachin Patil, executive engineer with the Palghar irrigation department, said he would visit the incomplete barrage site to assess the situation. He said the department would identify the obstacles affecting construction and issue directions to the contractor to complete the work urgently after the monsoon.
The department’s site inspection and the decision on whether the remaining work will continue with the existing contractor or be reassigned are the next official steps reported in the matter.
