PCMC scraps proposed Garbage depot in Punawale after 17 years
The civic body recently published the development plan for Pimpri-Chinchwad, wherein it has dropped the garbage depot from the same, the officials said
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has officially scrapped the decision to set up a garbage depot in Punalwale. The civic body recently published the development plan for Pimpri-Chinchwad, wherein it has dropped the garbage depot from the same, the officials said.
In 2008, the PCMC had reserved 22 hectares of land at survey number 24 in Punawale. The civic body, in exchange for the land, had paid ₹3.5 crore to the forest department and promised to provide alternative land elsewhere. However, with no efforts from PCMC to acquire this land in the past 15 years, several residential projects, schools, and colleges have come up in the vicinity of the proposed project.
After the civic body started movements in 2023 to set up the super administrative complex cum convention centre cum garbage depot in Punawale, which was opposed by local residents.
According to the citizens, due to the presence of Hinjawadi IT Park nearby, Punawale and surrounding areas have witnessed rapid growth, and a majority of IT professionals have settled here. The population of the area around the proposed site increased up to 1 lakh from around 10,000 in 2008, the residents said.
Furthermore, former BJP MLA Ashwini Jagtap raised the issue in the state assembly for discussion. The state government in December 2023, during the assembly session, had orally announced the decision to cancel the proposed depot in Punawale. However, there was still unrest amongst the citizens waiting for the official decision by the PCMC.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Shekhar Singh, municipal commissioner, PCMC, said, “Considering the protests by the citizens, the decision to set up administrative complex cum convention at Punawale has been cancelled.”
Singh, further, said the decision has been taken in view of the growing spread of the city and considering the overall regional development.
“The PMRDA is expanding rapidly beyond the Punawale area. In the coming years, this area will become a centre of development. This location can be used to set up a government office or a similar office of another development project,” he said.
Chetan Bhujbal, an area resident who has been following up on the issue for the last 17 years, appreciated the decision taken by PCMC. “We have met the former chief minister, Eknath Shinde and the current Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, requesting to cancel the project. The citizens even came onto the streets protesting against the garbage depot. This is a triumph of the citizens,” he said.
