THANE: The civic services to plush residential enclaves located along the Ghodbunder area could possibly be badly impacted if the massive TDR worth Rs 2800 crore is released by the Thane Corporation in lieu of the Chitalsar Manpada land without a simultaneous infra upgrade, fear Thane netas.The fears of a possible collapse of civic facilities was independently highlighted recently by cabinet minister Pratap Sarnaik and BJP leaders following reports of the TDR being disbursed by the Thane corporation.They urged the municipal administration to take immediate corrective steps and avoid inconvenience to residents.The TDR release would accelerate development, particularly along Ghodbunder highway, where large vacant land parcels remain, placing additional pressure on the civic services being provided to existing enclaves, experts said.“It cannot be denied that the release of TDR will lead to more construction and further strain the city’s already saturated infrastructure. I have drawn the administration’s attention to this. Transport, water supply and waste management projects are under consideration, but future demand must also be factored into planning,” transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said.BJP corporator Narayan Pawar said nearly 14 lakh new homes are expected to come up through cluster redevelopment, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes and other projects, pushing Thane’s population beyond 43 lakhs.Fellow party corporator Manohar Dumbare representing one of the prime Ghodbunder wards said residents in parts of old Thane and along Ghodbunder continue to rely on water tankers even during the monsoon while enduring worsening traffic congestion.“Societies here pay a steep Rs 5K per tanker even in the monsoon. The firefighting system here has only a 500-litre water backup, while traffic congestion is worsening daily. Construction without parallel infrastructure upgrades will make life even more difficult for residents in the coming months,” he said.Meanwhile, industry experts requesting anonymity said it was not possible and also unfair to defer TDR if the local civic body has failed to develop adequate facilities.NCP (SP) Thane president Manoj Pradhan also cautioned that unchecked development fuelled by the TDR release could erode the Ghodbunder Road green belt unless adequate environmental safeguards are enforced.
