Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) approved the construction of a civic dam at Shai River in Murbad Taluka of the district. The House is, however, debating the formation of an authority to oversee the construction of the mega water project through the state irrigation department. The debate remains unsolved. The highly-awaited issue came up for discussion on the floor of the House and the resolution was unanimously cleared. This did not happen before members of the opposition spoke their hearts out on water scarcity. The House also gave its block approval for the appointment of financial consultant to suggest the setting of filtration plants to filter the waters procured from the proposed dam. The House was, however, divided on the subject whether to give a free hand to the state irrigation authorities to go ahead with the mega project on their own. There were suggestions from the ruling alliance as well as the opposition that the corporation form an authority in consultation with the state government to oversee the execution of the mega water project. The corporators felt that the authority should have at least eleven members out of which four should be from the corporation including four leading office bears. The proposed TMC members should include Mayor, Leader of TMC House, Leader of Opposition and Chairman of civic Standing Committee (SC). The TMC commissioner is proposed to be the fifth member of the authority. The House felt that the remaining six authority members should be from the state irrigation department. The team of eleven should monitor the progress of the project at regular intervals and extend all co-operations to the state department to ensure that the proposal is completed at fastest pace possible. The debate, however, could not be completed as the House meeting time was up and it was declared adjourned. The unfinished topic would be taken up for discussion when the adjourned GB meeting takes place. The meeting is likely to take place any time after March 13, after the scheduled GB meeting of March is held to discuss the forthcoming budget. Notably, the state government had offered the corporation to propose the construction of the dam on Shai river in 2003 after NCP MLC Jitendra Avhad intervened on behalf of the corporation. The state government also convinced the BMC to withdraw its water drawing rights from the river to allow the construction of the TMC dam to take place. The proposed water faculty is to generate around 800 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of waters. The project cost is estimated at around Rs 450 crore. It will take at least eight years for the state department to complete the project.