Pune: PMRDA Starts Land Survey For Proposed Chakan Bypass Road; 21 Acres To Be Acquired

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Officials announced on Friday that the land measurement process has begun for the 2.5 km proposed Chakan Bypass Road. The road is designed to connect the Chakan-Shikrapur road to the Pune-Nashik Highway. The measurement began on Thursday. Officials hope that this will help in reducing the traffic congestion in the Chakan industrial belt.

The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) will be overseeing this bypass road project, where the roads will be 36 km wide. It will pass through Kadachiwadi and Medankarwadi villages in Khed Taluka. This comes after the major protest where residents, industrialists, and political leaders marched up to the PMRDA office in Akurdi demanding the solving of their problems.

According to PMRDA, approximately 21 acres of land will be acquired. Land measurement is the first step towards acquisition, and after that, landowners will receive notices. Farmers' consultation will be taken to determine compensation rates, said an official.

Sources revealed that the survey met mild resistance from some farmers in the Medankarwadi area. They fear that this alignment will split their landholdings. They requested the bypass road to be aligned with the water stream, which is nearby instead. PMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Yogesh Mhase has requested cooperation from farmers and has promised fair compensation.

The work and tenders will be announced before the model code of conduct for the local bodies election, informed a senior PMRDA official. Farmers maintain they don't oppose the project as a whole but want their inclusion in the decision-making process and complete transparency.

"Land acquisition should happen at the right places so we won't be adversely affected," noted a local farmer.