Kalyan: The Kalyankar Social Organization’s long-standing demand for a new dam near the old embankment at the mouth of the Ulhas River has been successful. The Mohone Dam, built in 1950 by NRC Company, supplies water to KDMC, MIDC, STEM, and local industries.

However, the dam is in poor condition, and its collapse could lead to a major water crisis. For nine years, local groups have advocated for a new dam a few meters away to safeguard the region.

On April 22, former corporators Nitin Nikam and Umesh Borgaonkar met Narendra Mahajan, Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department in Kalwa. In 2021, Nikam and colleagues protested in the Ulhas riverbed for 18 days to push for this project.

The administration has now acknowledged the need for a new dam, and a tender will soon be issued. The project is expected to be completed in two years. Mahajan confirmed that the river will be cleaned of silt near the dam, with the Irrigation Department covering the costs.

The new dam, designed using modern barrage techniques, will be 170 meters long with three vertical gates and additional sluices to clear debris during the monsoon. The estimated cost is Rs 77 crore, with the tender process starting after final approval.