Metro expansion, ring roads: Pune’s urgent agenda for Fadnavis government
As Devendra Fadnavis takes charge as the chief minister, Pune awaits swift action on expediting projects like the Metro rail, and 2 proposed outer ring roads.
As Devendra Fadnavis takes charge as the chief minister, Pune awaits swift action on several pressing issues. Resolving the city’s notorious traffic woes requires expediting projects like the Metro rail, the two proposed outer ring roads, and the long-delayed High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) inner ring road.
Another major issue is the Purandar airport project, which remains stuck despite five years of promises. The absence of civic corporators has stalled smaller yet crucial local works, making the immediate conduct of municipal elections essential.
Meanwhile, the Hinjewadi IT park, a key contributor to Maharashtra’s economy, needs urgent infrastructure fixes to sustain its growth. Additionally, Pune’s deteriorating law and order situation calls for decisive action to curb anti-social elements and restore safety in the city.
Puneties want corporators to address civic issues
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been without corporators for three years, the longest such vacancy in its 74-year history. The absence of 162 elected representatives has had a significant impact on governance and the daily lives of citizens. Corporators, unlike MLAs and MPs, are often the most accessible representatives, serving as the first point of contact during crises and playing a critical role in addressing local issues.
The delay in civic elections stems from legal disputes over redrawing ward boundaries, increasing the number of wards, and addressing the lack of Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations in municipal councils and panchayats. While most of these legal challenges have now been resolved, the state government has shown little urgency in moving forward with the polls. Although the State Election Commission is responsible for conducting elections, the timing largely depends on state government approval.
With the Mahayuti alliance’s victory in the recent assembly elections, there is renewed optimism that the long-awaited civic elections will take place soon.
Since March 2022, the municipal commissioner has been managing multiple roles, acting as the state-appointed administrator, de facto mayor, and head of the standing committee. This concentration of authority has replaced the usual system of checks and balances, with decisions on the city’s development being created, approved, and executed solely by the commissioner.
Dr Siddharth Dhende, former duty mayor of Pune city, said, “Local representatives are a bridge between administration and people. At present, there is no communication between the public and the administration. Therefore, more development issues have surfaced in the last three years. State government should have the priority to make efforts to conduct civic elections.”
Extension of Metro network
Before the model code of conduct came into effect, the state cabinet approved two new Metro routes for Pune: Nal Stop to Warje-Manikbaug and Khadakwasla-Swargate-Hadapsar-Kharadi. These routes aim to extend the Metro’s reach to the city’s outskirts and reduce traffic congestion. Residents from areas like Sinhagad Road and Hadapsar have been demanding such extensions for a long time to ease their daily commute.
Pune Metro Lines 1 and 2 have already received a positive response from commuters, increasing the demand for better connectivity to areas beyond PMC limits.
Now, the state government will have to forward proposals to the central government for final approval and allocation of necessary funds. The state has also taken the decision to sanction Ramwadi to Wagholi, Hadapsar to Loni Kalbhor (Kadam Vasti), and a spur line to Saswad.
Balaji Gaikawad, a resident of Wagholi, said, “We face traffic problems in the Wagholi area on a daily basis. It is necessary to start a metro which will directly connect Wagholi and adjacent localities to Pune and PCMC area.”
HCMTR project yet to take off
After more than 35 years, the state government has approved the HCMTR project proposed by PMC. The approval, announced on June 13, comes just months before the state assembly elections, with Pune’s traffic congestion expected to be a key election issue.
The 35-km-long elevated inner ring road, known as HCMTR, was first proposed in 1986 as a solution to reduce traffic congestion in the city’s central areas. The project gained momentum during Fadnavis’s tenure as chief minister earlier when he supported it as a fully elevated route.
Despite the recent green light and changes made to the original plan, the project remains on paper with no concrete development so far. Citizens continue to wait for action to address Pune’s worsening traffic problems.
Aba Bagul, former corporator said, “Considering traffic problems, we had suggested HCMTR. However, it is still on the paper. We urged the newly formed state government to give preference to HCMTR for resolving traffic problems”
PMRDA ring road
In 2016, the state government appointed the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) as the developing authority for the proposed ring road, aimed at reducing traffic congestion in Pune city by diverting heavy vehicles. The project is also expected to promote the development of suburban areas by connecting them to main roads.
PMRDA began the land acquisition process and requested quotations for developing key stretches of the road, including the Solu Interchange-Vadgaon Shinde and the Ahmednagar Road-Solapur Road-Satara Road stretches.
The proposed inner ring road will be 128.08 km long, with 40 km to be developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and around 6 km by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). PMRDA will handle the remaining 83 km stretch, which will be 65 meters wide.
The project received a significant boost when PMRDA allocated funds for the inner ring road in its 2024-25 budget, helping to move forward with land acquisition and tender processes for the first two phases of development.
Purandar Airport still on paper
The Purandar Airport project, first proposed in 2018 by then CM Devendra Fadnavis, aimed to construct an airport on 2,832 hectares across seven villages in Purandar. This airport was expected to benefit Pune and nearby districts like Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, and Ahmednagar by enhancing connectivity and boosting development. Once operational, all flights from the current Pune airport would shift to the new facility.
However, the project faced a major setback in 2021 when the Ministry of Defence (MoD) withdrew its no-objection certificate (NOC), leading to its cancellation. In June 2024, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol announced that the MoD and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had approved the airport at the original site, clearing technical hurdles. Subsequently, State Industries Minister Uday Samant declared in September 2024 that the land acquisition process under MIDC would begin soon.
Despite these announcements, there has been little progress on the ground.
Mulshi dam water supply proposal in limbo
In January 2021, during the inauguration of the Bhama-Askhed water project, Ajit Pawar, then deputy chief minister, suggested using 5-7 TMC of water from the Mulshi Dam for Pune. Pawar argued that since the water is currently used for generating surplus electricity, it could instead address the city’s growing water needs.
However, PMC officials clarified that since the dam is privately operated, the process of acquiring water requires approval from the state government. Once approved, PMC plans to lay pipelines, build overhead tanks, and install trunk lines to transport the water. This water would primarily benefit the city’s western areas, including Aundh, Baner, Balewadi, Kothrud, Katraj, and Satara Road, as well as some parts of Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The proposal is crucial for Pune as the Khadakwasla dam, the city’s primary water source, is overstressed due to the increasing population. With 34 fringe villages merged into the municipal limits, the need for an additional water source has become urgent.
To assess the feasibility of using Mulshi Dam water, the state water resource department formed a committee in 2021, headed by retired irrigation secretary Avinash Surve. Although the committee submitted its report in November 2023, no further action has been taken to implement the plan. Residents and officials are now waiting for the government to take the next steps to address Pune’s water crisis.
Funds for development of merged villages
The new state government will have to take calls on the development of the newly merged 32 fringe villages in the PMC limit. There are demands from residents to form a new Municipal Corporation of newly merged villages for better planning and development. At present, PMC is managing the development and planning of merged villages. Due to a lack of funds, PMC is facing problems in plan development in these fringe villages.
Vikram Shewale, a resident of Shewalwadi, said, “We don’t have better infrastructure and basic faculties despite the merger in PMC limits. The civic body is not able to handle the problems of merged villages. So, the state should have to take the decision of forming a new corporation for merged villages.”
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