The Times of India          15.10.2013

Water resource department to seek plan details after Nashik Municipal Corporation clears Goda Park project

NASHIK: The water resource department (WRD) has decided to wait for the official announcement by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on the development of Goda Park on the banks of river Godavari, before asking for the details of the same from the corporation.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray had recently announced that a private party would develop the project, which is going to be showcased as one of the achievements of the MNS-ruled civic body.

"It is true that no body had sought any permission from us or intimated us about whatever development had taken place at Goda Park so far. However, in case of further development of the park, we are awaiting the resolution being adapted by the general body of the NMC," a senior official from the Command Area Development Authority (CADA), Nashik, said. The officer said that it was difficult to seek information from the civic body at this stage as the project was only in planning mode and was being discussed only politically. After the plans are finalised, it will be kept on the table of the house for discussion and a clear picture will come out. Once that is done, we will forward the project details to the state government, he added.

The construction of Goda Park, the pet project of Raj Thackeray, had been controversial since the beginning. Sections of the park, boasting of walkway on the banks of the river Godavari, dotted with plantations, and recreation centres, fell in the blue zone, which is very frequently flooded and the rest is in the red zone, altogether where development is not allowed at all.

The irrigation officials have no details of the part of the project that has already been constructed, neither did it receive any communication about the future project, a presentation of which was given by Thackeray on October 5.

"Since the respective bodies are to maintain the sanctity of the no-development zones around the banks of the river, it is expected that NMC would be abiding by the same. However, so far it is understood that the park did not have any structures - largely - except walkway. But the construction being planned seems to raise some structures and that is why the irrigation department is concerned," another official from the department said.