Will tackle daily civic issues first, while keeping an eye on long-term projects: Naval Kishore Ram

Ram emphasized the importance of solving day-to-day problems faced by citizens. In an exclusive interview, he shares his vision and priorities for transforming Pune

Naval Kishore Ram, the newly appointed municipal commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), is focused on addressing the city’s immediate civic challenges, while also planning and implementing long-term development projects. Appointed to the role on May 31, Ram emphasized the importance of solving day-to-day problems faced by citizens. In an exclusive interview, he shares his vision and priorities for transforming Pune.

Naval Kishore Ram, the newly appointed municipal commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), is focused on addressing the city’s immediate civic challenges. (HT)

You’ve been visiting different parts of the city and meeting people directly. What is the reason behind this approach?

I believe the role of a civic commissioner is not just to sit in the office and look at long-term projects, but also to be connected to the ground realities. I like to be on the ground, visit locations which have problems and speak with citizens from those areas to understand the ground reality and problem. I don’t believe in just depending on complaints received from organizations or politicians to understand the actual problem. In my first two weeks, I wanted to hear from citizens directly—what problems they face daily. Some think I should only focus on big projects, but unless we fix everyday issues like garbage, encroachments, waterlogging, potholes, and sanitation, we can’t talk about a livable city.

What are your plans for sanitation and waste management?

Sanitation is a major challenge. Monitoring is weak, and there’s no system to track real-time progress. We are soon launching ‘Swachh Pune Abhiyan’, which will be a public-private collaboration involving citizens, NGOs, and industrialists. A live dashboard will be created to monitor waste collection and cleanliness in real time.

How will you tackle the recurring issue of encroachments?

From October, we are launching a city-wide encroachment removal drive. This time, it will be done in a way that prevents it from returning. We’ll be strict and systematic. Repeated encroachments harm public spaces and reduce civic discipline. We can’t be lenient here.

Health and education are also civic responsibilities. What’s your plan there?

Pune is a hub for new and emerging diseases. That makes public health a top priority. Our health infrastructure must be ready for any challenge. Also, private hospitals must show compassion. We’ve received several complaints of neglect toward poor patients by private hospitals. I will work on improving accountability.

In education, only around 10 per cent of students are in municipal schools. We will soon create model schools within PMC limits that set an example in quality, facilities, and learning outcomes. Model schools will have modern teaching facilities, a limited number of students in a class and better education infrastructure. The aim will be to compete with private schools in terms of quality.

You mentioned several pending projects. What’s the plan to speed them up?

Yes, there are many ongoing projects like the Metro, riverfront development, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) amongst others. These are important and need focused efforts. My job is to complete them quickly and deliver results before the deadline. We can’t offer ease of living unless these projects are finished.

What about long-term planning and disaster management?

We are preparing a long-term urban infrastructure plan. This includes proper drainage, especially in merged villages, stormwater lines and concrete roads. Also, disaster management will be strengthened to respond better to floods, fire incidents, and disease outbreaks. Pune has a road network of about 2,400 kilometres, but only around 318 kilometres are covered with stormwater drains — that’s just 16% of the total. Ideally, major roads that are 60 meters wide and above should have stormwater lines on both sides, which they don’t have.

How do you plan to strengthen your civic team?

Capacity building is important. I regularly interact with my officers to share my vision. I also try to protect and encourage sincere officers who may be demoralized due to political or administrative pressures.

What message would you like to give to the citizens of Pune?

My message is simple: I’m here to serve you, and I want to hear from you. Let’s work together to make Pune more livable, inclusive, and responsive. The citizens and administration must walk hand-in-hand.