The officials said that the civic body in Maharashtra`s Thane city launched a drive to pull down illegal bars and pubs on Thursday, a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde gave directions to this effect in the wake of an incident of alleged consumption of drugs at a similar establishment in Pune, reported news agency PTI.

Till noon, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) razed at least five such illegal establishments in different localities of the city, an official told PTI.