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Monday Musings: Balbharti-Paud Phata link road project can decide PMC’s approach towards development
Infrastructure development is an essential pillar for a growing city like Pune but what is happening over various projects may stall the development here in long term, and in turn stall city’s growth
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has faced opposition to development projects in the past, but not to this extent. The opposition to the proposed Balbharti-Paud Phata link road has turned vicious with motives being attached to voices supporting the project.
On its part, the civic body is unwilling to be open about holding dialogue with all stakeholders which mainly includes common people. It needs to shun opaqueness, and reveal all details to the public that mainly include findings of the survey conducted in July 2022 to establish whether the proposed road was feasible or not.
Pune is akin to protests, which in the past have either delayed or led to the cancellation of some projects. Earlier in 2011-12, few activists opposed the proposed stretch through the riverbed linking parts of Sinhgad road with central parts. Petitions were filed and protests were held. Finally, PMC had to cancel the project, which has escalated the traffic mess around Sinhgad road under tremendous pressure with new housing societies and commercial establishments coming up alongside the road.
The Metro rail project, projected as a panacea for the city’s traffic was also held hostage by some residents. For over four years – even after everything else was decided – government could not decide on the route. Residents from Deccan led by then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anil Shirole pressed for an underground stretch even as Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had approved an elevated route. The former MP tried hard to push for change the led to a massive delay.
Finally, Nitin Gadkari called a meeting of all stakeholders where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar too was present and approved the project that is currently being implemented. Had the minister not taken a firm stand and pushed it, the project would have been delayed further. The same has happened with Balbharti-Paud Phata link road project, which was first proposed in the 1987 development plan and is still on paper when thousands of commuters passing through Law College road are daily suffering due to traffic chaos.
For a city that currently has buses as public transport as the only option – Metro rail is still in the making and it might take a few more years before this option takes complete shape – relying on private vehicles becomes but natural for residents.
If the city’s (Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad) current population is taken into account, which is estimated to be at 7.5 million, a little over 10 lakh people on an average daily basis use the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) service. This is close to 14 per cent of the overall population using PMPML.
In the case of Balbharti-Paud Phata link road, at the centre of contention is possible damage to the hill, the interest of commuters and the growing needs of the city that public transport alone cannot address. If those opposing the project are claiming that the proposed road will not just damage the ecology of the area, and will not serve any purpose for commuters, they should suggest amendments to the civic body instead of blanket resistance to the project.
For PMC, how it deals with this project will be crucial given that city is at the cusp of witnessing major changes. If every small or big project is held hostage by a group of people for some reason or other – environment or otherwise – the city may never be able to keep up pace with the essential infrastructure. Infrastructure development is an essential pillar for a growing city like Pune but what is happening over various projects may stall the development here in long term, and in turn stall the city’s growth.
