By now, it is common knowledge that yesterday's havoc, when half of Kalyan was under four feet of water, was caused by the failure of town's main storm-water drain, Jari Mari nullah's, to flush out water as fast as it poured (it rained 8 inches in just a few hours). And what obstructed the flow was the pillars of a five-storeyed building, Sadhna Mansion, that stands right above the nullah in the market area.

That also explains why the low-lying areas escaped the brunt of rains yesterday, and areas located on relatively higher ground level - Malhar Nagar, Chikale Baug, Narayan Wadi, Ekvira Nagar and Santoshi Mata Road - were all flooded. Even the Retibunder area, which is the most low-lying in Kalyan and sits on the banks of the creek had faced no problems yesterday.

``Instead of carrying the water downstream, the nullah was pushing theflow backwards. It was choked at the spot where Sadhana mansion is located,'' said a resident. The 25-feet-wide nullah which flows from Rambaug to Joshibaug, Azad Nagar, past New High school, Malhar Nangar and Jari Mari before merging with the creek become only five-feet wide under the Sadhana Complex, better known as the Roop Sangam buildings as it houses the famous sari shop.

The building has a story of its own. Built in 1972 by Nanubhai Nagodia -- a local matka king -- its location had immediately touched off a controversy.

In 1983 the well-known Roop Sangam cloth store set up its two-storey shop in the building and its owner Premji Gala began liasing with the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation for the Nagodias. It was in 1990 that the then civic commissioner, U P S Madan, sent a notice to Nagodia's son, Deepak, saying that ``the illegal building'' would be demolished as it was becoming an obstacle to the widening of the nullah which was being undertaken under the mega-city project. Gala immediatelyapproached the sessions court seeking to stop the demolition but the court ruled in KDMC's favour in 1997 when the case came up for hearing.

However, before the KDMC could move in with bulldozers, Gala moved the HC in appeal, where his counsel Ramrao Adik argued that it was possible for the KDMC to divert the nullah through an alternative route but it was victimising his client by insisting on demolishing his building. Justice B N Srikrishna, who heard the case, ordered that the KDMC's city engineer and an expert appointed by Gala explore the feasibility of an alternative route. He also suggested that the two parties could approach the PWD secretary of the state government for the same. The matter has not moved ahead since then and it is not known if the expert committee that Justice Srikrishna had suggested has been formed or not.

Meanwhile, Civic Commissioner Madhukar Kokate today denied allegations of money having changed hands between the owners of Sadhna Mansion and some civic officials. ``I don'thow such baseless rumours start doing the rounds in the KDMC,'' he said and added, ``there is no question of the KDMC softening its stance on the Roop Sangam issue. We will carry on with our efforts to demolish the building because it is illegal.'' He also did not see any connection between the floods and the location of the building.

``Alongwith heavy rains, the topography and choked smaller drains probably caused the flooding.'' Repeated attempts to get in touch with Gala and Nagodia drew a blank. When this reporter visited Gala's shop he was told by the employees, ``Sethji is so busy that it is difficult to say when he will be available for comment.''