Palghar: Agri Sena workers show black flags to Nitin Gadkari over postponed Surya Dam project inauguration

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari/ PIB

Members of Agri Sena, dissatisfied over the delayed inauguration of the crucial water supply scheme in Palghar, showed black flags to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to Vasai on Friday, despite police's attempts to control the situation. According to the report by PTI, the incident happened when Gadkari was in Vasai on Friday morning.

The report further suggested that the Agri Sena were protesting due to the postponement of the water supply scheme which will provide 185 million litres per day from Surya Dam (MLD) to the Vasai-Virar area.

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The number of individuals detained during the demonstration could not be ascertained, stated the report; meanwhile, it added that a video has been circulating on social media which showed the party members shouting and waving black flags as Gadkari's motorcade passed by.

Kailas Patil, the president of Agri Sena's Palghar unit, stated in an interview with reporters that the MBVV police had brought him and some activists to his office in an attempt to prevent their participation in the protest.

Agri Sena's protest came a day after Kshitij Thakur, an MLA from Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) met Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) chief Sanjay Mukherjee requesting the inaugural of the Surya Dam water supply scheme project. Reportedly, the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) areas require 372 million litres of water per day (MLD) but are receiving only 230 MLD.

Thakur highlighted that over the years, especially since 2011, the Vasai Virar area has seen a population boom which has resulted in an escalated demand for water in the area. He said that the Surya Dam project will be vital and augment water provisions and said that 185 MLD of water allocation from the Surya Dam project is essential for VVMC.

Recently, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a protest in the area addressing the persistent water issues faced by over 30 lakh people in the region, as reported by PTI. MNS leader Sharmila Thackeray highlighted that the scheme designed to provide 185 million litres of water per day had not been inaugurated by the state government, causing daily hardships for the local population.

Thackeray issued a stern warning, stating that if the water supply scheme is not inaugurated within five days, the MNS would take it upon themselves to do so forcibly, ensuring that the people receive the necessary relief. She clarified that their primary objective for protesting was to ensure public in the area don't suffer from water woes any further.