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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 3:50:26 am

Controversy over shifting plot

Questions over corporation’s plan to abandon self-owned piece of land    Ruparani Nikam Kolhapur: A fresh controversy has surfaced over the proposed construction of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) new administrative building, with questions being raised over the apparent shift from a prime, self-owned plot at Nirmal Chowk to an alternative site at Shendapark.   The civic body, which has been functioning out of the historic Gandhi Market building since its days as a nagarpalika...

Controversy over shifting plot

Questions over corporation’s plan to abandon self-owned piece of land    Ruparani Nikam Kolhapur: A fresh controversy has surfaced over the proposed construction of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) new administrative building, with questions being raised over the apparent shift from a prime, self-owned plot at Nirmal Chowk to an alternative site at Shendapark.   The civic body, which has been functioning out of the historic Gandhi Market building since its days as a nagarpalika during the princely era, was upgraded to a municipal corporation in 1972. However, despite a significant expansion in its administrative scope over the decades, the KMC has yet to acquire a modern, purpose-built headquarters. At the centre of the present debate is a 9-acre-36-guntha plot at Nirmal Chowk considerably larger than the five-acre Shendapark site now being proposed.   The Nirmal Chowk land has long been in the corporation’s possession, and even a property card had been issued following the resolution of disputes by the district administration. Despite this, the civic body has now indicated that the new headquarters will be constructed at Shendapark, prompting questions over the rationale behind abandoning a larger, strategically located plot.   Complicating matters further is a prolonged legal dispute over the Nirmal Chowk land. While the preparation of a property card typically nullifies the relevance of the 7/12 extract under Maharashtra land records, claims based on the latter continued to surface, with some parties asserting ownership and keeping the dispute alive.   Critics allege that the civic administration failed to pursue the case with due diligence, at times remaining absent during key hearings. It was only after an intervention through a separate petition filed by Dilip Desai of a local civic group that the matter regained traction. The case is now slated for hearing before the Kolhapur circuit bench of the Bombay High Court in June.   Observers argue that instead of strengthening its legal position and securing the valuable land estimated to be worth around Rs 40 crore the KMC appears to have shifted focus to the Shendapark site. This, they say, raises concerns about the intent behind the change in location.   Notably, as far back as December 2003, the corporation had organised an architectural design competition for constructing a modern headquarters at Nirmal Chowk. A contemporary design was finalised, but the project has seen little progress in over two decades.   In contrast, several municipal corporations across Maharashtra have since developed modern administrative complexes, while Kolhapur continues to operate out of cramped premises in Gandhi Market, with even council proceedings often conducted under space constraints. Civic activists contend that had the KMC pursued the Nirmal Chowk project with consistency and resolved legal hurdles in time, the city would not have risked losing control over a high-value public asset.   With the shift to Shendapark now underway, concerns are also being voiced about the future of other public spaces in the city. Activists warn that if such decisions go unchallenged, it could set a precedent affecting open spaces in urban layouts.   The controversy has triggered demands for greater transparency and accountability in the civic body’s land-use decisions, with residents seeking clear answers on why the original site was sidelined and who stands to benefit from the change.

‘Monsoon tourism’ rings in cash, ecological alarms

Mumbai: Rains shattered records in many parts of Maharashtra particularly the big and small hill-resorts dotting the Sahyadri range in the Western Ghats, attracting hordes of tourists not only locals but from several other states.

The incessant downpour transformed the Sahyadri ranges into a lush green haven, cascade of waterfalls, streams, rivulets, but also hit travel besides raising fresh concerns about the impact of extreme weather events in the ecologically fragile region.


Tourism meccas like Matheran (Raigad), Tamhini, Lonavala, Khandala (Pune), Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani (Satara), Igatpuri (Nashik) and others witnessed massive crowds over the weekend, but the footfalls somewhat fell this week owing to the deluge around the state.


As per official data, Matheran recorded a staggering 700 mm rains on Monday-Tuesday, Lonavala-Khandala notched 425 mm, Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani 200 mm and Tamhini Ghat 575 mm (all on Tuesday), while the Sahyadris accumulated around 7,500 mm rains from June 1.


Weather watchers termed these figures as ‘awesome, mind-boggling’, while worried hoteliers in Matheran, Mahabaleshwar and other hill-stations in Pune and Nashik districts monitor the rain clouds as excess rains can wash out their monsoon business prospects.


Owner of Radha Cottage – the erstwhile heritage bungalow of the legendary Sir Pherozeshah Mehta – Manoj Khedkar said last weekend was full and next weekend is almost fully booked, though this week (Sunday-Wednesday) saw a steep 50 pc fall in reservations as people were stranded at various places.


“Such a deluge has washed away most of the mud roads of Matheran, several trees have crashed without and outside the hill-resort. The unchecked tourist influx could prove the death-knell and Matheran may disappear in the next five decades. The local and state government must take steps to conserve its fragile ecosystem, lay clay paver blocks to prevent denudation that weakens the green cover plus construct small check bunds to prevent water running on the muddy roads,” urged Khedkar, speaking to ‘The Perfect Voice’.


Panchgani’s Cloud Green Resort owner Vinod Shinde said that people come to ‘experience the thrill of monsoon in the mountains’, soak in the rains and the greenery, go for treks or long drives or hiking.


“It is popular all 12 months, but the monsoon weekends are jammed with tourists from not only Maharashtra but many parts of India. The roads have deteriorated and the anticipated Independence Day to Janmashthami festival season was disappointing with cancellations. Many sight-seeing points are closed and the adventure activities like paragliding, ballooning, etc are also shut,” a gloomy Shinde said.


Mahabaleshwar’s Brightlands Resorts owner Vijay Sevakramani said that while the hill-station has charmed tourists in all seasons, the past few days were of concern due to a spate of cancellations as Maharashtra was clobbered by heavy rains.


India 'embraces' Maharashtra's hill-stations

According to hoteliers, thanks to social media, Matheran – the sole automobile-free hill-station in Asia discovered in 1850 – reputation has spread, with many tourists coming here from Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, etc., and stressed the need to keep its lure always alive, with some restrictions or discipline.


Ditto is the case with Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani, Lonavala-Khandala, Bhimashankar, Igatpuri, a few sea resorts, the state’s historic coastal and hill-forts, and other attractions.


Amateur weather watcher and traveller Naveen Reddy said that the sheer volume of rains in the Western Ghats is “breaking many records” and Agro-Scientist Athreya Shetty termed the rains as “absolutely thrashing the Ghats”, but all these have made the lush green region even more enchanting, with the clouds gently descending on the hills and covering the tiny villages.

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