3.3 Cr Thane Bridge Goes Nowhere
• Sprouts SIT Exposes Bridge Blunder in Shenve-Khaire
• Five Years, Crores Spent—Bridge Still Useless
• Sprouts SIT finds massive engineering, financial lapses
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
A ₹3.3 crore bridge built at Shenve-Khaire in Thane lies incomplete and unusable even after five years, due to poor planning and overlapping with an irrigation canal. The Sprouts SIT uncovered irregular approvals, inflated estimates, and diverted funds. Despite an ordered inquiry, no action has been taken against the responsible officials.
Thane Bridge Built Without Utility in Mind, Public Funds Wasted
Investigation Team (SIT)
In a glaring case of poor planning and administrative mismanagement, a bridge constructed at Shenve-Khaire-Saranganpuri has remained incomplete and unusable even after five years. Despite a sanctioned budget of ₹3.3 crore, the bridge is effectively rendered pointless because of an overlapping irrigation canal project, making it inaccessible to the public.
According to documents reviewed by the Sprouts News Investigation Team, the Public Works Department (PWD) sanctioned ₹2.2 crore on March 23, 2020, based on a faulty and misleading design plan. Although the initial survey indicated the need for a 40-meter bridge, the Sanction Drawing Board (Sankalpchitra Mandal) approved a 75-meter design, unnecessarily inflating the budget and resulting in a financial loss of over ₹2.12 crore to the state exchequer.
Click Here To Download the News Attachment
Thane Bridge: Design Tampering, Irregular Payments Flagged by SIT
The SIT uncovered that Executive Engineers approved the final bill of ₹2.2 crore in June 2024—despite only 85.5% of the work being completed. To bypass proper oversight, the engineer prepared a manipulated cost estimate of ₹99.93 lakh by reducing road length and width, excluding essential elements like approach roads, fill material, and painting work.
Further, instead of submitting the revised administrative proposal to the concerned PWD division, it was diverted to the Tribal Development Department, thereby misleading the administration and securing an additional ₹1 crore in approvals. Despite these manipulations, the bridge remains non-functional due to the alignment of the canal constructed by the Irrigation Department under it—making it impossible for vehicles to use the structure.
Duplicate Canal Construction Renders Bridge Obsolete
The PWD’s decision to construct the Thane bridge across a future canal route has caused infrastructure overlap with the Water Resources Department. A second bridge is now being built under the original one, defeating the purpose of the ₹3.3 crore project. Locals are left with a useless structure, and there is no clarity on who will be held accountable.
In February 2025, the Additional Chief Secretary of the PWD ordered a vigilance inquiry into the matter. However, according to the Sprouts News Investigation Team, that inquiry is yet to materialize, remaining buried in bureaucratic files.
Engineers, Contractors Under Scrutiny in Crores-Worth Scam
Responsibility for this engineering failure and financial mismanagement lies with the junior and senior engineers from PWD Sub-Division No.1 Shahapur, Division No.2 Thane, and the Sankalpchitra Mandal, Navi Mumbai. The original administrative approval was granted in March 2020, yet as of mid-2025, the work remains incomplete.
Despite being a symbol of educated administration, the Thane PWD seems to lack basic planning sense, as highlighted by the Sprouts SIT investigation. Building a multi-crore bridge without confirming land and utility clearances reflects not just negligence, but systemic inefficiency.
Also Read: Liquor Policy Shock: Maharashtra Lifts 50‑Year Ban, Sparks Conflict Row.
Public Anger Mounts as Funds Vanish, Utility Fails
Civic activists and local residents are demanding accountability and action, as the bridge—meant to serve the villages of Khaire and Saranganpuri—now stands as a symbol of corruption and poor governance. With a canal cutting through the intended road alignment, people cannot use the bridge, rendering five years of work and ₹3.3 crore in expenditure effectively useless.
As PWD and Irrigation departments clash over jurisdiction and responsibility, citizens continue to suffer the consequences of bureaucratic failure. The bridge, once expected to ease travel, now remains blocked by construction debris, muddy access roads, and red tape.
