PMC to visit Balbharati-Paud Phata Link Road proposed site today

The civic body also plans to apply for environmental clearance by appointing a consultant, said officials

A day after the Supreme Court directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to obtain environmental clearance before going ahead with the proposed Balbharati-Paud Phata Link Road project, civic officials said they will visit the proposed project site on Friday to plan the next steps.

The project — proposed in 1987 and stretching about 2.1 km — has been delayed for decades due to repeated legal challenges and opposition from environmental groups. (HT FILE PHOTO)

At the same time, the civic body also plans to apply for environmental clearance by appointing a consultant, said officials.

Prashant Waghmare, city engineer, said the administration will prioritise compliance with the court’s order to ensure that work begins at the earliest.

“We carried out a site inspection and discussed how to proceed following the Supreme Court’s directions. The PMC will appoint a consultant to secure approval from the environment department and aims to obtain it within two months,” said Waghmare.

An official from the civic body requesting anonymity said that all preparatory work is being expedited. “There is now a clear go-ahead from the court, provided environmental norms are met. Once the clearance is received, we will immediately start execution,” the official said.

The project — proposed in 1987 and stretching about 2.1 km — has been delayed for decades due to repeated legal challenges and opposition from environmental groups. The alignment passes through an ecologically sensitive portion of the Indian Law Society (ILS) Hill, connecting Paud Phata to Balbharti on Law College Road.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai directed the PMC not to begin work until environmental clearance is obtained. The court also instructed the state’s environmental impact assessment authority to decide on the proposal within three months.

The ₹160-crore project is expected to decongest major arterial roads such as Law College Road, Fergusson College Road, and Karve Road once completed.

Environmental activists, however, maintain that construction on ILS Hill could damage the city’s remaining green cover and affect groundwater recharge in the area.