E-Paper
Balbharti-Paud link rd in Pune: Residents allege they were not informed about meeting with consultant
Meeting was organised as part of the preparation of the environmental impact assessment and traffic survey as directed by the high court to form a committee for the same
Residents have raised concerns regarding the execution of the 2.1km Balbharti-Paud phata link road which has been proposed from Kelewadi junction on Paud road to Balbharati near Symbiosis to reduce traffic congestion on law college road. They have alleged that they were not informed about the meeting that was held with the consultant on Saturday.
Environmentalists and residents have opposed construction of the road through Vetal tekdi (hill). A meeting was held with the stakeholders by consultant VK environmental on Saturday. This was organised as part of the preparation of the environmental impact assessment and traffic survey as directed by the high court to form a committee for the same.
Sarang Yadwadkar, environmentalist, said, “A public notice for today’s (Saturday’s) meeting was published in just two local newspapers. We got to know about the meeting from the consultants. We want the civic body and the consultant to be transparent in the process.”
Smita Murty, a resident of Law College road, said, “I am sure there are other alternatives for the road instead of destroying the Vetal tekdi.”
Sushma Date, member of Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti, said, “Building an elevated road or any road through or above the tekdi is not an option. We need the urban forests, which act as carbon sinks, heat mitigation devices, biodiversity habitats and reservoirs of major aquifers and springs.”
Anagha Paranjape Purohit, a consultant working on the project and who presented the details of the project to the stakeholders, said, “We have prepared our project study based on suggestions presented by the committee in which Nagarik Chetana Manch’s Maj Gen SCN Jatar and Prashant Inamdar are members. We have assessed the Balbharti-Paud phata link road project against the applicable urban environmental policies. We are identifying both positive and negative environmental and social effects of the project through detailed analysis. The report is not complete and this meeting with the citizens will be a chapter in the final report that will be submitted to PMC,” said Purohit.
“We have presented possible alternatives for the proposed Balbharti –Paud phata link road like an elevated road which will reduce the felling of a large number of trees and also keep the recharge zone intact,” said Anagha.
Corporator Madhuri Sahasrabudhe, under whose ward this road is proposed, explained the need for an alternative way to the Law College road and said, “We have been living in this area for more than 40 years and have witnessed a rise in pollution and perils of growing number of accidents on the road, hence, I support the proposal of an alternate road which will help reduce the traffic and also the pollution.”
“The proposal will also focus on keeping the environment safe while designing the route,” she added.
About the project
2.1 km road to be built between Kalewadi junction and Balbharti on SB road
Entry-exit: Kelewadi junction on Paud road to Balbharati near Symbiosis (besides Bhandarkar Institute)
Length of road: 2.1 km
Road width: 100 feet
Estimated project cost: Rs 24 crore (to be revised as work on the project was delayed)
Objective
- To reduce traffic load on Law College road
-To reduce air pollution resulting from congestion on Law College road
Why work on project got delayed
- Balbharati-Paud link road was first proposed in 1987
- Environmentalists oppose the project, as the proposed route passes through Vetal tekdi
- Approved under Section 205 of Bombay Municipal Corporation Act (BPMC)
- Nagarik Chetana Manch’s Maj Gen SCN Jatar files public interest litigation (PIL) against approval
- Bombay High Court asks PMC to prepare an environmental impact assessment and traffic survey
- PMC proposes road in-development project, state government approves it
