PMC needs ₹1,500 cr to acquire land for road widening to ease traffic congestion

Land acquisition work in underway in Kothrud, Wadgaon Khurd, Dhayari, Kondhwa, Baner-Balewadi, Dhanori, Lohegaon, Kharadi, Wadgaonsheri, Warje and Mundhwa-Ghorpadi

Having recognised the surge in the number of vehicles on roads as the root cause of the growing traffic congestion in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to widen 18 major roads to ease traffic flow, reduce travel time for commuters, and enhance the safety and efficiency of the city’s transportation network.

An official from the land acquisition and management department said, “All these land acquisition projects were proposed a decade ago. The cost of the land has been calculated as of December 31, 2023. The process of land acquisition is often complex and can involve negotiations with landowners, compensation settlements, and possible legal hurdles. (MAHENDRA KOLHE/HT PHOTO)

For this, PMC will need an estimated over ₹1,544.74 crore only to acquire the necessary land (in Kothrud, Wadgaon Khurd, Dhayari, Kondhwa, Baner-Balewadi, Dhanori, Lohegaon, Kharadi, Wadgaonsheri, Warje and Mundhwa-Ghorpadi) to widen these roads. The large sum reflects the high cost of purchase/compensation for land that will be affected by the road widening exercise.

Pratibha Patil, deputy commissioner (land acquisition and management) of the PMC, said, “We have prepared a list of roads, amounts and the area to be acquired for road widening and construction of new roads. As per allocation of the annual budget for the land acquisition and management department, we will acquire land for the roads.”

An official from the land acquisition and management department said, “All these land acquisition projects were proposed a decade ago. The cost of the land has been calculated as of December 31, 2023. The process of land acquisition is often complex and can involve negotiations with landowners, compensation settlements, and possible legal hurdles.