E-Paper
Citizens protest illegal razing of Pashan-Baner hills
To keep the hills safe in future, a statement containing the signatures of nearly 6,000 citizens was submitted to the Smart City chief, Pune municipal commissioner and chief minister of Maharashtra
With razing of the Pashan-Baner hills having resumed on the quiet, the Pashan-Baner Tekdi Bachav Nagrik Kruti Samiti Sunday morning held a protest atop the hills with the residents of Pashan, Baner, Aundh, Someshwarwadi, Sutarwadi, Bavdhan, Sus and Mahalunge; all-party congregations; and social organisations participating in large numbers. There was a particularly large number of women and children even as a signature campaign was conducted on the occasion.
Vaishali Patkar, member of the Kruti Samiti, said, “In 2019, Smart City tore down the Pashan-Baner hills to construct a 100-metre-long and 30 to 35-feet-high road from Venezia society highway to Pan card club. At the time, citizens gathered in large numbers at the demolition site and raised objections. In July 2019, a joint meeting was held between the representatives of Smart City, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and local citizens at the pandit Bhimsen Joshi theatre, Aundh. The then CEO of Smart City, Rajendra Jagtap, admitted to everyone that the hills had been demolished by mistake and that demolishing the hills was a mistake. At the same meeting, Smart City and the PMC assured the citizens that they would never build a road touching the hill in future.”
“But suddenly on December 7, roadwork appeared to have started in the same area. This undermines the confidence of the citizens which is why we held a protest atop the hill today. This work should be stopped immediately and action should be taken against those concerned similar to against those encroaching upon the land,” Patkar said.
To keep the hills safe in future, a statement containing the signatures of nearly 6,000 citizens was submitted to the Smart City chief, Pune municipal commissioner and chief minister of Maharashtra.
According to a 2015 government order, only nine metres of road can be constructed in the biodiversity park (BDP) area without causing damage to the hill, that too with the permission of the municipal commissioner. The Dongat ramp has been built for the purpose nearly 15 years ago and a distance of nine metres road has been kept behind it. The Kruti Samiti questioned the roadwork against this backdrop. It was clear the hill on the Baner side was being broken in places only for the benefit of builders, the Samiti said.
The citizens have demanded the following regarding the Pashan-Baner hills and a statement to this effect containing the citizens’ signatures has also been submitted to the PMC commissioner.
-The roadwork underway in the hilly areas should be stopped immediately.
-Punitive action should be taken against those who are constructing the road on the hill.
-The hill should be marked through the collector’s office in the presence of citizens.
-The broken hill should be restored.
-A permanent solution should be planned to ensure that the hills, which are the lungs of Pune, are safe in the future.
