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Meet Nayak: The Giant Machine Digging Our 15-Minute Tunnel

In our previous article, we explored the "15-Minute Dream." We learned how the new Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel will soon change our daily lives. It will finally end those long, tiring traffic jams on Ghodbunder Road. But building an 11.8-kilometer road deep under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is not easy. How exactly do you dig a massive tunnel through solid rock without hurting the forest? You need a giant, powerful tool. For Thane, that superhero machine is named "Nayak." What is Nayak? Nayak is a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). Think of it as a massive, high-tech earthworm made of steel. Built by a German engineering company, Nayak is a true record-breaker. It is the largest hard rock TBM ever used for a city road tunnel in India. The sheer size of this machine is hard to imagine. The entire machine is 86 meters long. The round cutting shield at the very front is over 13 meters wide. To picture this size, just imagine a standard four-story building spinning around!...

The 15-Minute Dream: the Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel

If you live in Thane, you know the daily struggle of traffic on Ghodbunder Road. Traveling to Borivali can easily take up to one and a half hours. But soon, this tiring journey will change forever. The upcoming Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel project will shrink this travel time to just 15 minutes. Here is everything a common citizen needs to know about this massive project. Project Overview This project is an 11.8-kilometer (10.25 km tunnel & 1.6 km approach) road linking Tikuji-Ni-Wadi in Thane directly to the Western Express Highway in Borivali. Instead of going all the way around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), the road will go straight under it. It will be a "twin tunnel". This means there are two separate tunnels for traffic going in opposite directions. Technical Details Each of the two tunnels will be massive. They will have three lanes each. Two lanes are for regular traffic, and one is reserved for emergencies. To dig these tunnels, the builders are using gi...

TMC Launches Massive Stray Dog Vaccination Drive

In a decisive move to support public health and animal welfare, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has officially launched its “Rabies-Free Thane” campaign. This ambitious initiative aims to vaccinate over 25,000 stray dogs across the city, setting a foundation to declare Thane a rabies-controlled zone by 2030. The drive was formally inaugurated by Mayor Sharmila Pimplolkar at the TMC headquarters, following directives from state leadership to address the rising concerns over dog bite incidents. The campaign stands out for its use of technology and visual identification. Under the guidance of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Prasad Patil and Veterinary Officer Dr. Kshama Shirodkar, vaccinated dogs are being fitted with orange radium reflector collars. These collars serve a dual purpose: They improve the visibility of stray dogs for motorists during the night, significantly reducing the risk of road accidents. They act as a visual marker for health officials to identify which dogs have...

TMC Launches 'Environment Awareness and Green Pledge Competition 2026

In a major push towards sustainable living and environmental conservation, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has officially announced the "Environment Awareness and Green Pledge Competition 2026" under the state's ‘Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan’. This dynamic initiative aims to maximize civic consciousness and empower the citizens of Thane to actively participate in hands-on environmental conservation. Who Can Participate? The competition is exclusively open to entities located within the TMC jurisdiction and is divided into four distinct categories: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Colleges, TMC Schools, and Private Schools. To ensure widespread engagement and fair evaluation, participants will be judged across three tiers—municipal level for NGOs, zonal level for colleges, and ward committee level for schools. Institutions will undergo a self-assessment evaluation process spread across two distinct submission phases: Phase 1 Deadline: March 25, 2026 Phase 2 Deadlin...

Sri Satish Pradhan: A Public Life in the Service of Thane

For the residents of Thane, it is important to be aware of the life and work of a leader who played a significant role in shaping the city’s development—Sri Satish Pradhan. This account is offered as a mark of respect and as an opportunity to understand his public work, his approach to leadership, and his contribution to Thane’s growth. Sri Satish Pradhan was born on August 29, 1940. Over the years, he emerged as a prominent public figure in Thane. He passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 84. His long public life was closely connected with the city’s expansion and changing civic needs. His political journey developed alongside the growth of Thane. He was among those who worked to establish and expand the Shiv Sena in the city and the surrounding district. The early phase of this work involved organisational efforts and political challenges. During this period, he focused on strengthening the party’s base while also engaging with local civic issues. He was elected as the Presi...

The Rhythm of Thane: Remembering Pandit Bhai Gaitonde

Dear residents of Thane, it is a matter of immense pride that our vibrant city was home to a towering figure of Indian classical music, Pandit Suresh "Bhai" Gaitonde. Though he traveled the country through his art, he made Thane his home, leaving behind a rhythmic legacy that we must forever cherish. Born on May 6, 1932, in Kanakavali, Bhai Gaitonde was introduced to music by his father, a doctor with a deep passion for the tabla and harmonium. By the tender age of six, young Bhai was already accompanying classical vocalists with remarkable ease and confidence. His family relocated to Kolhapur in 1942, and although he later earned a diploma in Electrical Engineering from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai during the 1950s, his true calling was tied to the world of music. Bhai Gaitonde’s musical journey was shaped by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He learned the intricacies of the tabla from nine different gurus, firmly believing that learning is a lifelong, continuous pr...