AMBERNATH: Ending nearly five months of political confrontation, the Shiv Sena and BJP on Thursday announced an alliance in the Ambernath Municipal Council (AMC), saying the decision was taken in the interest of the city’s development.The alliance comes shortly after the district collector ruled in favour of the Shiv Sena-NCP group in the ongoing power struggle within the civic body, a decision that strengthened Shiv Sena’s position and dealt a setback to the BJP. Despite gaining an upper hand after the verdict, Shiv Sena leaders said they were willing to put aside political differences to ensure smooth functioning of the municipal council.The announcement was made during a joint press conference by BJP Kalyan district president Nandu Parab and Shiv Sena Kalyan district president Gopal Landge in the presence of senior local leaders from both parties.“Like at the state and national level, we have decided to come together in Ambernath as well. Except for a few subject committees, the power-sharing formula has largely been finalised,” said Parab.Parab said a few pending issues regarding committee allocations will be resolved after discussions with senior party leadership.Following the municipal elections, both parties had been engaged in an intense battle for control of the council, with shifting political equations involving factions of the NCP and Congress. The prolonged tussle had allegedly affected administrative functioning and delayed civic projects.With support from four NCP corporators, Shiv Sena now claims the backing of 32 corporators, while BJP’s strength stands at 27. Expressing displeasure over the alliance, Shiv Sena Ambernath city chief Arvind Walekar said that the BJP should have formed an alliance with Shiv Sena before the elections, but they did not do so. Instead, after the polls, the BJP joined hands with its staunch rival Congress to establish power in the municipal council, which, he said, sent a wrong message across the country. He further stated that if Shiv Sena leaders were expected to ally with the BJP now, all party corporators should have first been taken into confidence before making such a decision.Despite internal differences among some local Sena corporators over the alliance, leaders from both parties maintained that development of Ambernath would remain the top priority.

KALYAN: Amid growing concerns over inadequate healthcare infrastructure in Kalyan-Dombivli, Kalyan Loksabha MP Shrikant Shinde has directed the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation administration to prepare an ambitious redevelopment plan for the civic body’s two major hospitals by converting them into modern 500-bed multi-speciality hospitals with a medical college facilities.During a high-level review meeting held at the KDMC headquarters on Wednesday, Shinde instructed civic officials to appoint consultants and begin planning for the redevelopment of Rukminibai Hospital in Kalyan and Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli into state-of-the-art healthcare institutions aimed at addressing the region’s growing medical needs on line of Thane’s Civil hospital. Shinde informed that work of dedicated cancer hospital in Dombivli is ongoing and by next year it will be operational for public.The meeting, attended by senior KDMC officials including KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goel, Mayor Harshali Chaudhari, standing committee chairman Mallesh Shetty and office-bearers, also focused on several key infrastructure projects across Kalyan-Dombivli.Speaking after the meeting, Shinde said the long-pending water crisis in 27 villages of Kalyan Rural would be resolved within the next six months under the ongoing Amrit Yojana works.He said the project required an additional Rs 50 crore due to increased project estimation and pending water connectivity works. The additional funding was approved by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the sanction letter was handed over to the Mayor during the meeting itself. KDMC will also contribute another Rs 50 crore, taking the total additional allocation for the project to Rs 100 crore.According to Shinde, the funds will help complete crucial works including water tank connectivity and distribution infrastructure, ensuring a permanent solution to water shortages in the 27 villages.The review meeting also discussed replacement of ageing water pipelines in urban areas of Kalyan and Dombivli. KDMC has prepared a detailed project report worth Rs 268 crore to modernise the city’s water distribution network.Shinde further said that discussions were held on raising funds through municipal bonds after the Centre recently allowed municipal corporations to mobilise finances through the route, with 50 per cent support from the Central government.The ambitious Ring Road project aimed at reducing traffic congestion in Kalyan-Dombivli was another major focus area during the meeting. Officials reviewed all eight segments of the project. In Segment 3, land acquisition has been done, and instructions were issued to expedite the process. Shinde added that the revised alignment for Segment 2 by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is expected to speed up the project. All land acquisition related to the Ring Road project is expected to be completed by July.On urban redevelopment, Shinde said KDMC is exploring implementation of a cluster redevelopment scheme on the lines of Mumbai and Thane. The Mayor is expected to visit Thane to study the ongoing cluster redevelopment model there.The issue of traffic congestion in Dombivli East was also discussed in detail. Shinde said that after the SATIS project in Kalyan nears completion, KDMC has been directed to prepare a project report for a similar SATIS-style infrastructure project in Dombivli East to seek government funding at the earliest.

Rs 100-crore MD drug manufacturing plot foiled by Mumbai Police (Representative image)

THANE: Mumbai Police have busted a synthetic drug manufacturing network and seized raw materials and chemicals worth Rs 4 lakh that could have been used to produce mephedrone (MD) valued at nearly Rs 100 crore, officials said on Tuesday. Officials said the seizure thwarted an alleged plan by drug peddlers to flood the market with synthetic narcotics. The crackdown stemmed from an investigation launched early last month into a mephedrone trafficking network. Subsequent raids at Saman Nagari and Azmi Nagar in Malwani, and Mauje Manori in Gorai, led to the recovery of chemicals and manufacturing equipment collectively worth Rs 4 lakh, police said. Their estimated market value as finished MD products would have touched Rs 100 crore, claimed Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar crime unit senior police inspector Pramod Badakh. “Had the police limited the investigation to mere arrests and failed to probe further, this raw material would have been processed into finished MD and distributed through peddlers,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode said. Police said they have so far seized 6.773 kg of MD valued at Rs 13.61 crore. The haul included 255 litres of medicinal chemicals, sodium hydroxide pellets, hydrochloric acid, acetone, dichloromethane, melamine, chloroform and specialised laboratory equipment such as heating mantles, flasks, recovery flasks and addition pots. The total seizure is valued at Rs 13.65 crore. Thirteen persons, including two women, have been arrested in the case so far, officials said. The operation began on April 4 after a raid in the Nayanagar area of Mira Road in Thane district led to the recovery of 1.32 kg of MD worth Rs 2.66 crore from a woman identified as Firdos Arbaz Qureshi, police said. Investigators said the interrogation of Firdos and her husband, Arbaz Vakil Qureshi, exposed a wider drug network, leading to multiple arrests. All the accused have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

THANE: An Ambernath-based developer, whose office was targeted in a firing incident last year, has written to the President of India seeking permission for euthanasia, alleging that the police have failed to properly investigate the case and are shielding a BJP MLA whose name surfaced in allegations made by jailed gangster Ejaz Lakdawala.Builder Vishwanath Panvelkar (72), in his letter, claimed that despite the firing outside his office in April 2025 and subsequent allegations made by Lakdawala from jail, there has been no meaningful progress in the probe. Panvelkar alleged that he and his family continue to face threats to their lives and are living under constant fear and mental harassment.Panvelkar further alleged that the police have neither taken stringent action in the case nor provided security to his family due to political pressure. He accused BJP MLA Kisan Kathore of deliberately creating hurdles in his business activities and using influence to harass him over a land dispute near Badlapur railway station.The matter drew fresh attention last month after Lakdawala, in a letter addressed to the Thane Police from jail, claimed that he had been approached with a contract to eliminate Panvelkar. According to the gangster’s letter, three associates allegedly linked to Kathore met him on court premises and offered him money to carry out the killing. Lakdawala also claimed that the alleged conspiracy was connected to the ongoing land dispute involving the developer.Lakdawala in letter has also expressed willingness to record a formal statement in the matter, subject to court permission.In his communication to the President, Panvelkar referred to Lakdawala’s claims and questioned why no strong action had been initiated despite such serious allegations. Stating that the continued fear, pressure and mental stress had become unbearable, he sought permission for euthanasia for himself and his family.Earlier, after Lakdawala’s letter first surfaced, Panvelkar had addressed a press conference demanding that police take cognisance of the gangster’s allegations and initiate action.Reacting to the latest allegations, Kathore denied all charges and said Panvelkar is making false accusations to defame him. He declined to comment further, saying he would respond “at the appropriate time”.Assistant Commissioner of Police Shailesh Kale said, “The case is under investigation and the crime branch is probing the matter.”

KALYAN: The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), under the guidance of Commissioner Abhinav Goel, has taken several steps across the twin cities that have helped keep the Air Quality Index (AQI) below 100—and on many days even below 50—through a mix of pollution-control measures, civic officials said. As part of these efforts, KDMC has operationalised an outdoor air purification system at the busy Tata Power House junction under the Centre’s National Air Quality Programme (NAQP). In addition, eight air mist fountain systems have been installed at key traffic-heavy junctions to curb dust and improve ambient air quality. Rohini Lokare, Executive Engineer in KDMC’s environment department, said the outdoor purification units draw in polluted air, filter dust, fine particulate matter and harmful pollutants, and release cleaner air back into the environment. “These systems are equipped with high-efficiency filtration and ventilation mechanisms and operate continuously to improve air quality,” she said. She added that carbon filters help control harmful gases, while smart monitoring systems enable real-time AQI tracking. KDMC plans to install two more such outdoor purification units in the near future. Officials said the dry mist fountains use specialised nozzles to create micron-sized droplets that suppress dust without wetting the surroundings. The systems also help reduce ambient temperature and provide a cooling effect in congested urban areas. To tackle dust on smaller roads, KDMC has deployed 10 “gobbler” machines that absorb fine particles. The civic body has also implemented strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) for construction sites under the guidance of Commissioner Abhinav Goel. Builders have been directed to maintain dust-free zones extending up to 500 metres for large projects spread over 10,000 square metres, 200 metres for projects up to 6,000 square metres, and 100 metres for projects up to 4,000 square metres. These measures include daily water sprinkling and mandatory photo and video updates shared on monitoring groups. Lokare said coordinated efforts by multiple civic departments over the past two months have significantly improved air quality, keeping AQI within satisfactory levels and, on many days, in the “good” category across Kalyan-Dombivli.

ULHASNAGAR: The long-pending demand for a Sindhu Nagar metro station is set to be realised as part of the Metro 5A corridor, BJP MLA Kumar Ailani said, adding that the project has gained momentum after the state government cleared ₹4,063 crore for its implementation.Speaking at a press conference, Ailani said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised during an election rally in Ulhasnagar to bring metro connectivity to the city and name one of the stations after Sindhu Nagar, reflecting the area’s cultural identity. “This has been a long-standing demand of residents, and with the sanction of funds for the metro project, it now appears closer to reality,” he said.Ailani thanked Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and MP Shrikant Shinde for supporting the project, which is expected to significantly improve connectivity in the region.Highlighting other development works, Ailani said ₹99 crore for concreting of key city roads is in the final stage of approval, while an additional proposal worth ₹120 crore has been submitted to the state government. He added that a ₹220 crore project to develop an independent water source is underway, with efforts to ensure 24-hour water supply in the future.On building regularisation, Ailani said continuous review meetings are being held to speed up the process. He added that issues related to the assistant director of town planning (ADTP) have been resolved, which will help accelerate redevelopment of dilapidated buildings and generate revenue.He also said efforts are underway to resolve the dumping ground issue and explore options such as underground or double-decker metro routes to minimise disruption.Meanwhile, works on seven major roads by MMRDA are nearly 90% complete. Additional works like dividers and paving blocks will be taken up soon. A separate ₹65 crore fund has also been sanctioned for development of internal roads and public toilets ahead of the monsoon, he said.