Locals and Congress leader Pankaj Gaikwad have raised concerns over the under-construction cement concrete road from Kawad to Aangaon on the Bhiwandi-Wada road, alleging the use of substandard raw materials. They reported cracks and scaling on the surface due to poor workmanship and pointed to possible negligence by officials.

Gaikwad, the general secretary of the Thane Rural Congress Party, accused Public Works Department (PWD) officials of failing to oversee the project properly. He has urged the district collector to take stringent action against the officials by filing a criminal case.

In a letter to Thane District Collector and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gaikwad called for an inquiry into Dattu Gite, a PWD engineer, and Sunil Patil, an executive engineer of PWD. He alleged that the ongoing road concretization on the Bhiwandi-Wada stretch was of inferior quality, making the road weak and unsafe.

Gaikwad stated that on January 10, 2025, he had submitted a written complaint to the PWD department, but no action was taken. Following this, he and local villagers staged a protest, yet authorities remained unresponsive. He has now demanded that the materials used in the road construction be tested, and action be taken against those found responsible.

PWD officer Dattu Gite confirmed that the vigilance department had visited the site on the Bhiwandi-Ambadi road and collected material samples for testing.

According to Gaikwad, around 40 kilometers of road concretization work has been awarded to three companies covering different stretches, including Shelar Village to Aangaon, Aangaon to Ambadi, and Dakivali to Manor. He criticized the companies for failing to install safety barricades, display work-related boards, or deploy personnel to ensure public safety around excavation sites.

In a broader effort to reduce traffic congestion in Bhiwandi, the state government has initiated the concretization of two major roads at a total cost of ₹1,483 crore. These include the 43 km Bhiwandi-Wada-Manor road (₹1,113 crore) and the 18 km Chinchoti-Kaman-Anjurphata-Mankoli road (₹370 crore). Both roads will enhance connectivity between Thane and Palghar districts. The bhoomi pujan for these projects was conducted last year by Union Panchayat Raj Minister Kapil Patil and Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan.

PWD officer Siddhartha Tambe stated, "Based on the complaint, we have directed the quality control wing to inspect the site and submit a report. If any irregularities are found, strict penalties will be imposed on the responsible parties."