NMC to install nets on two more bridges soon

NASHIK: Almost six months after the civic body installed nets on two bridges in the city as per the directions of the Bombay high court to prevent people from throwing 'nirmalya' into the river, it is planning to install nets on two more bridges.
During the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Godavari Gatarikaran Virodhi Manch against civic officials for being responsible for river pollution, on March 20, 2013, the court had directed the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) to install nets or wire mesh on its bridges.
Following the court's directives, the NMC had decided to install nets on two bridges initially on experimental basis for a few months and then replicate it for all the bridges in the city. But it was only in January this year that the NMC installed nets on two bridges.
Now, the NMC is preparing to cover two more bridges in the next couple of months.
"We had installed net on Gharpure Ghat bridge and wire mesh on Chopada Lawns bridge on an experimental basis... We have observed that there has been lot of difference after fixing the nets. In the next two months we will install nets on Gadge Maharaj bridge and Talkuteshwar bridge that are low level bridges. The nets on these two bridges will be similar to that on Gharpure Ghat bridge. The proposal for this has been sent for approval and we hope to get the approval in a month," an NMC official said.
He said that nets or wire mesh would be installed on seven more bridges later - Anandwalli Bridge, Asarambapu bridge, Ahilyabai Holkar bridge, Victoria bridge, Kannamwar bridge and the ones at Tapovan and Dasak.
"Even though the NMC has installed nets on two bridges, people still find ways throw 'nirmalya' and other 'pooja' material into the river. People living in the high-end areas like Gangapur Road also throw plastic bags with 'nirmalya' into the river from Asarambapu bridge," said Nilima Rajput, a resident of Gangapur.
Shravani Joshi, a resident of Panchavati, said that the bridges in Panchavati area needed urgent installation of nets. "There should be not be any gap between two wire mesh frames otherwise people throw 'nirmalya' through the gaps," Shravani said.
"We have put up boards on every bridge forbidding the citizens from throwing 'nirmalya' into the river but they also need to be aware," an NMC official said.