Congress’ senior leader and Poriem MLA Pratapsingh Rane  on Friday introduced a private member’s bill for construction of a medium-sized dam at Charavane in Sattari to ensure proper water supply to the residents of Thane and neighbouring villages. The bill also provides solution to the water woes faced by farmers and villagers practicing other allied occupations.
On this, the WRD Minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues said that “it is not a new proposal. In 2006, the project was conceived and tendered by me but we could not take it up because the land was falling under reserve forest which was converted into wild sanctuary where no work can be taken up.”
 “We have in between conceived many water conservation projects in river Velus but we will again approach the state wildlife board to seek approval for constructing a medium-sized dam at Charavane with a proper proposal. We also have an added advantage of Mhadei tribunal order giving approval to take up water conservation projects in Mhadei basin,” the minister said, while requesting to withdraw the private member’s bill.
Meanwhile, while replying to a private member’s bill moved by Congress MLA Ravi Naik to provide permanent service road and provision for road crossing from holy cross at Keriyem to Opa junction, the PWD Minister Dipak Pauskar said an underpass is not possible but once the Khandepar bridge gets completed, the traffic load will reduce by 90 per cent but “still we will examine the proposal on underpass.”