Locals stage chakka jam over proposed Pune-Nashik rail route change

Nashik division member of legislative council (MLC) Satyajeet Tambe and Nashik member of Parliament (MP) Rajabhau Waje led the protest at Sinnar

Residents of rural Pune and Ahilyanagar and Nashik districts staged chakka jam protests at several locations along the Pune-Nashik highway on Sunday, opposing the railways’ decision to alter the proposed alignment of the Pune-Nashik semi high-speed rail project, and demanding that the original route via Sangamner be retained.

Waje and Thorat said that the proposed change has dashed the hopes of thousands of farmers (HT)

Nashik division member of legislative council (MLC) Satyajeet Tambe and Nashik member of Parliament (MP) Rajabhau Waje led the protest at Sinnar; while former Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat spearheaded the agitation at Sangamner.

At Sinnar, the police detained Tambe after he and his supporters entered the Samruddhi expressway (e-way) to block traffic. He was released after more than an hour. Traffic on the e-way was disrupted for around 15 minutes. Nashik rural police said that the agitation affected vehicular movement for more than an hour before traffic was restored after the protests ended.

“There was a spontaneous response from local residents in rural Pune, Ahilyanagar and Nashik. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cabinet minister Girish Mahajan called me during the agitation and discussed the issue. We will not allow the railways to alter the alignment,” Tambe said.

“Our demand is that the newly-appointed panel complete its task within the 60-day deadline set by the state government. It should also consult local people who would have benefitted if the project had been implemented to pass through Sangamner, Narayangaon, Manchar and Chakan. The purpose of the project would be defeated if the alignment is changed,” Tambe said.

Waje and Thorat said that the proposed change has dashed the hopes of thousands of farmers, students and young people in the region who had expected the rail project to improve connectivity and economic opportunities.

“The state government has spent a huge amount on land acquisition for the project along the original route. Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation has even prepared a DPR based on the original alignment. It is surprising that the railways suddenly decided to scrap it,” Thorat said.

At Chakan, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) member of legislative assembly (MLA) Babaji Kale led a protest demanding implementation of the project along the original alignment. The police detained some protesters after they blocked the highway. Similar protests were held at Narayangaon and Manchar in rural Pune.

The railways announced in June that the project’s alignment has been changed to pass through Shirdi and Ahilyanagar following concerns that the original alignment could affect the functioning of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at Narayangaon in Pune district. A revised detailed project report (DPR) has already been prepared. The state government has now appointed a four-member committee headed by former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar to examine the impact of the proposed alignment on the GMRT.