Ahead of the monsoon season, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has sent out notices to residents living in unauthorized houses situated on the Nandini, also referred to as Nasardi river bed. This action comes in response to an incident seven years ago when the Nandini river overflowed, causing water to inundate Shivaji Wadi.
Due to encroachments, the Nasardi river bed, stretching from Mumbai Naka to Shivaji Wadi, is gradually shrinking in width. Around 15 to 20 years ago, Bharat Nagar and Shivaji Wadi areas had only a few houses and shanties. However, there are hundreds of shanties in these areas now.
Approximately six acres of municipal land have been occupied by the shanties. Prior to the recent Simhastha Kumbh Mela, authorities demolished around 650 unauthorized shanties located on both sides of Wadala-Pathardi Road leading to Bharat Nagar Road.
Due to the proliferation of shanties, the available space in this area has been completely exhausted. Over a period of approximately six to seven years, there has been a widespread endeavour to construct houses by reclaiming land in the Nasardi river bed between Mumbai Naka and Shivaji Wadi. Illegally, around 25 to 30 houses have been built within the Nasardi river bed.
As a result of these circumstances, the width of the river bed has significantly reduced. When it rains, the water from the river inundates the areas of Shivaji Wadi and Bharat Nagar, causing financial hardships for the residents, many of whom rely on daily wages. Every year, the municipal corporation issues notices to individuals who have constructed houses on the river bed. However, the efforts to remove these unauthorized structures from the river bed have not been effectively executed. Consequently, new illegal constructions continue to emerge on a regular basis.
Certain land mafia groups have engaged in the unauthorized sale of municipal land in Bharat Nagar. Presently, there are apprehensions regarding the illegal sale of spaces within the Nasardi river bed as well.