As the Pune Municipal Corporation is all set to issue a tender worth Rs 320 crore for the proposed Balbharati to Paud link road across the slope of Vetal Tekdi, civic activist Prashant Inamdar of Pedestrian First has slammed the civic body for approving the detailed project report (DPR) without consultation with expert committee members.
As per the report by the Indian Express, Inamdar in a letter to Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar. alleged that the civic body approved a DPR for the proposed project without conducting a meeting with the members. He also said that he did not get the DPR from the civic body and obtained it from his sources.
The environmental activists in the city have been opposing this project since it was first proposed in 1987. Nagrik Chetna Manch had filed a public interest litigation (PIL), which the high court had dismissed and asked the civic body to prepare the environmental impact report for the project. Even this group, in 2021 had accused PMC of violating the directives of Bombay HC.
For the uninitiated, Vetal Tekdi is a prominent hill in the city limits of Pune. The hill is the highest point within the city limits and one of the few virgin forests in the city. There is a temple of Vetala located on the top of the hill from which the hill derives its name.
The road to solve traffic woes at Law College Road?
The administration has maintained that the proposed road will decrease traffic pressure in Nal Stop Chowk. At present, passengers travelling from Senapati Bapat road towards Paud road have to use Law college road, which often witnesses traffic congestion during peak hours.
Features of the project:
Length: 2.1 Km
Width: 30 m, including 6 m footpath
Parallel to Law college road across the slope of Vetal Tekdi
Start Point: Balbharti on SB Road
End Point: Paud Phata in Kelewadi
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