A village just 70 km from Mumbai could turn into the city's favourite weekend getaway thanks to innovative efforts by locals
A village just 70 km from Mumbai could turn into the city's favourite weekend getaway thanks to innovative efforts by locals
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This is a weekend getaway not many may have heard of, but its 70 kilometre distance fromu00a0 Mumbai makes it a tempting weekend drive destination. Wangani village in Thane district is doing all it can to rope in weekend revellers after the state government's Rs 19 lakh fund to beautify the area acted as an impetus. 
An adivasi catches a Rohu in the Wangani lake
Pics/Shrikant Khuperkar
One of the projects taken up includes detailing the life of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji at a site around Wangani's famous lake. In September last year, the Konkan Parayatan and the Vikas Sanstha launched an initiative that's bearing fruit. A programme was undertaken to cultivate Katla and Rohu, two freshwater fish varieties in the Wangani lake. In a bid to keep the level of the lake constant even in scorching summer heat, locals have decided to dig a borewell near the lake to feed it.
A mixture of konda, soyapend, and gobar was fed to the fish, and they have now grown to their full size, making it lucrative to sell them in the local market. A kilo of the fish fetches the society Rs 100.
The fish is usually caught by adivasis who inhabit the area, and are paid Rs 15 for every kilo of fish caught.
In the three days before Sunday MiD DAY visited the site, 325 kg of fish had been caught. The fish is a hit with locals for its fleshy meat and low price.
The Bhagirath Waterfall in Wangani can turn not only into a tourist hotspot, it can also help alleviate water needs of the village. "We have developing the waterfall so that the water can be used to flood built-up bhandare dams. The water will prove helpful for farming," said Kisan Kathore, a local MLA.
With its lake, waterfall and surrounding forests, Wangani is inviting enough for tourists who can pitch their tents in the open. On the western end of the village lies a barren field that sees budding astronomers flood here for a round of weekend star gazing. Khagol Mandal, an NGO that supports astronomy enthusiasts often conducts overnight camps here. Wangani can be accessed by local train from CST to Karjat or Khopoli, followed by a drive to Katai village via Shil phata.
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