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Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Baramati model, a myth or reality?
The city and adjoining areas face multiple problems ranging from garbage to drought, which the BJP has been raising ahead of the polls
While addressing her last poll rally barely two hours before the campaign ended in Baramati on Sunday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule appealed to voters to help her win the election and retain the constituency.
Located around 110 kilometres from Pune, Baramati has for years, been a cynosure of surrounding areas.
While Baramati stands tall as a shining example of Sharad Pawar’s multi-faceted development initiatives, the ground reality may not essentially be the same, as the city and adjoining areas face multiple problems ranging from garbage to drought, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been raising ahead of the polls.
Baramati constituency, where BJP’s Kanchan Kul is locked in a direct fight against two-term Lok Sabha MP and Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, is going to polls on April 23. The constituency has six assembly segments--Daund, Indapur, Baramati, Purandar, Bhor and Khadakwasala.
On Sunday, Sule only addressed infrastructure related issues, and ignored the issue of water and waste management. The failure of the municipal corporation to segregate garbage and find another location for dumping has not just affected the air quality of the city, but has also become a major poll issue. The garbage dump, located in the heart of city, is a black spot for a town which boast of its infrastructure that is at par with major cities.
Pramod Thombare, a local journalist, said, “The garbage dump is a menace for residents. It has not just polluted the air here, but often leaves a stink behind.”
The locals say that the 22 villages that surround Baramati, known to be perennially drought-prone are fighting for water. “We have been fighting for years, and yet, nothing has happened. We have given up our hopes for water,” said Ashish Shinde, a local from Masalwadi.
“In reality, the city and surrounding areas have multiple problems, ranging from unemployment, garbage and infrastructure,” said Pandurang Kachare, BJP leader.
On the positive side, Baramati has large number of industrial units, which provide employment to at least 40,000 people from the region. The BJP, however, has said that the Pawars have created a false impression of Baramati as a developed city.
