Properties worth ₹500 crore reduced to rubble

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

More than 1,000 structures between Mukundwadi and Cambridge Chowk were demolished over the weekend as part of the city’s largest-ever road-widening drive, leaving thousands devastated. Properties both sides of a 100-ft-wide corridor were brought down, with engineers estimating a total loss of nearly Rs 500 crore.

On Day 1 alone, the municipal corporation razed 490 structures, worth over Rs 200 crore. By Sunday, the damage had escalated, with showrooms, homes, shops, garages, and hotels flattened many of them permanent and recently constructed. The demolition drive, covering over 6 km, marks a first in municipal history. In Sanjaynagar, Mukundwadi, Ramnagar, most affected structures were semi-permanent. However, in Chikalthana to Cambridge Chowk via Shani Ashram, multi-storey concrete buildings some just years old were taken down.

Tears in Chikalthana

In Chikalthana village, the emotional toll was visible. Families stood by helplessly as bulldozers struggled for hours to bring down their strongly built multi-storey homes. Many watched in silence, some in tears, as years of savings and memories were reduced to dust.

Fond memories of Dilip Bund’s model

The drive also evoked memories of Dilip Bund, who served as municipal commissioner from June 2008 to January 2009. His road widening model, implemented in Chikalthana with on-site compensation, is still recalled by residents as a more humane and balanced approach.