I-Day gift: Road connectivity cleared for Raigad’s remote tribal hamlets

Just 103 km from Mumbai the tribal villages of Karambali Thakurwadi and Kadai Dhangarwada in Khalapur taluka of Raigad district have remained cut off for generations without roads clean water or a school Over 120 households continue to struggle in isolation especially during the monsoon when the hilly terrain becomes nearly impassableNow on the eve of Indiarsquos 79th Independence Day these hamlets have finally received longawaited permission from the Forest Department granted on August 11 to begin road construction with work expected to commence after the rainsSantosh ThakurActivists who had threatened to protest on August 15 see this as a longoverdue yet hopeful step midday had earlier published a series of stories highlighting their plight A Juhubased private landowner had even donated a portion of land to support the project but the files remained stuck with no progress until nowRoad only on paperBoth Karambali Thakurwadi and Kadai Dhangarwada are located at a higher altitude The nearest main road connecting these villages is at Donvat about 105 km away Road work from Donvat to Ujaloli village a 5 km stretch has been completed However the road from Ujaloli to Karambali Thakurwadi and Kadai Dhangarwada a further 55 km does not exist at all Yet government records falsely indicate that a road exists to both villages and have even assigned it an official village road numberCenturylong struggleLakshman Ghate fetches water daily from a water hole 4 km from his house on a bullock cart FILE PICATUL KAMBLESantosh Thakur president of the Gram Sanvardhan Samajik Sanstha and local resident said ldquoAfter decades of tireless efforts protests and administrative hurdles the longisolated tribal hamlet of Karambali Thakurwadi in Khalapur taluka has finally received conditional forest permission to build a road mdash a lifeline we have been pleading for over a hundred yearsrdquo said an emotional ThakurClearance after pressureldquoThis came after a prolonged struggle involving coordination between multiple departments After numerous rounds of meetings and an ultimatum to lock the range forest office Khalapur on August 15 if action wasnrsquot taken the administration finally responded We even began a fastuntodeath protest on July 24 and only then did the files start movingrdquo said ThakurFast until death protest by tribals on July 24 PICBY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTldquoThe road project is estimated to cost around Rs 15 lakh with a proposal to route it through either the zilla parishad PWD or the CMGSY Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana scheme for a more comprehensive budget The deputy engineer Construction under CMGSY Karjat subdivisional office has confirmed that work will commence after the monsoonrdquo said ThakurRoads bring dignityldquoThere are still 16 tribal hamlets in Khalapur taluka alone in similar conditions This is about dignity access and being seen Wersquore ready to cooperate but the administration mdash especially the Integrated Tribal Development Department ITDD mdash needs to wake up They have funds mdash why are they not actingThe journey isnrsquot over but for the first time in a century the villagers of Karambali Thakurwadi can see a road ahead mdash one that leads not just to their homes but also to longoverdue justice Thakur saidldquoI have approved the proposal on behalf of the user agency strictly adhering to existing norms and legal parameters I genuinely hope the project moves forward without further delayrdquo said Rahul Patil deputy conservator of forests Raigad districtldquoIn the past two years I have cleared nearly 60 to 70 proposals seeking forest permissions for essential infrastructure in tribal hamlets be it roads drinking water facilities or electricity pole installationrdquo Rahul saidCash crunch crisisldquoThe dream of having a proper tar road is finally within reach Although the Forest Department has granted the NOC the implementing agency mdash zilla parishad PWD mdash currently lacks fundsrdquo said Satyajit Bade CEO zilla parishad Raigad ldquoWersquove waited for years and remain hopeful this longpending demand will be fulfilled provided funds are allocated in timerdquoBade said Rs 30 lakh was sanctioned three years ago but surrendered due to delays and pending clearances Now that forest permission is in place the ZP PWD will submit a fresh funding proposal to the District Planning Committee Once approved work can start before the next monsoonThe road linking Ujaloli to Karambali Thakurwadi in Khalapur has now been sanctioned under the Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana CMGSY with a work order issued in April 2025 for completion in 12 months A Raigadbased contractor has been appointed with CMGSY Executive Engineer Sarika Desai overseeing If executed under CMGSY ZP PWD will not be involvedRs 15LEstimated cost of the road