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PMC’s inaction leads Keshav Nagar residents to form legal association
The association held its first official meeting on Sunday during which residents voiced their concerns over the pathetic state of affairs, especially since more residential projects are slated to come up
PUNE
Apathy on the part of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) despite complaints about poor or non-existing water supply, drainage facilities, roads and other basic amenities has led more than 40 housing societies in Keshav Nagar to form a legal association by the name Keshav Nagar Welfare Association (KENWA) under the Companies Act, 2013. The association held its first official meeting on Sunday during which residents voiced their concerns over the pathetic state of affairs, especially since more residential projects are slated to come up when there is no infrastructure to cater to the existing residents.
Chaitanya Sharma, a member of KENWA and resident of Keshav Nagar said, “As nothing has worked out despite several efforts by individual societies, we have taken this step to form a legal association to represent the majority of societies in Keshav Nagar which has more than 10,000 families.”
Keshav Nagar has been a part of the PMC since 2017 but continues to lack basic amenities such as roads, water supply, drainage facilities and street lights. So much so that last year, the residents held a silent protest to draw the authorities’ attention to Keshav Nagar’s plight but in vain.
Ranjeet Lonkar, member of KENWA and resident of Keshav Nagar, said, “Most of the societies together are spending more than Rs50 lakhs per month and around Rs6 to 7 crores per year on water. We have been staying here since 2019 but there is no water till date. We are completely dependent on chargeable water tankers (monthly bills of Rs2.7 to 3lakhs) when we should be getting ample water and other amenities as part of the PMC.”
Sharma said that during the monsoons, the roads resemble water bodies. “In fact, the gram panchayat roads are better maintained than the roads in Keshav Nagar which is a part of the PMC,” he said.
