Expanding Pune: Dhanori in need of ‘professional’ face-lift
Dhanori, though strategically located and well-connected, faces issues ranging from lack of infrastructure, to a water crisis and waste disposal.
The problems faced by Dhanori are many. The once peaceful suburb in the eastern part of the city has turned into a chaotic neighbourhood. The population is now over a lakh and is growing. Traffic congestion caused partially due to encroachment is making life difficult for both residents and commuters.
Indiscriminate garbage dumping and shortage of water supply is adding to the woes. The wish list of the citizens is long. It includes quality internal road infrastructure, proper garbage disposal plan, robust drainage system and massive tree plantation drive.
Citizens strongly feel that the area needs professional planning and execution. Commuters to Dhanori complain of traffic congestion just ahead of Vishrantwadi chowk and here is the place where autos and six seaters are found parked illegally without a trace of fear about police action.
Dhanori has been experiencing rapid residential and industrial development due to its road connectivity with key industrial area like Pimpri-Chinchwad, Talegaon and Saswad. Dhanori has always remained a preferred location for the working class including IT professionals as a number of such companies are located in the vicinity.
Dhanori is also well-connected with Kalyaninagar, Vimannagar, Vishrantwadi, Alandi, Yerawada, Dighi and Vishrantiwadi localities that are famous for educational institutes, business establishments, shopping malls and entertainment joints. The area is also connected to Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Dhanori’s proximity to Lohegaon airport and Pune railway station has attracted many top real estate developers to come up with many residential and commercial projects.
The area is well connected by buses, shared autos and taxis also. Residential complexes, townships and commercial establishments don the landscape of the area. Builders like Mittal and Tyagi, Kumar Builders, Nyati, Brahma Builders, Agrawal Ventures, Sahara Builders, Goel Ganga, Shriram Properties, Choice Group, Gini Constructions, BU Bhandari, Ashirwadh Promoters and Builders and several new real estate developers have made a beeline in the area.
The description of Dhanori would be incomplete without the mention of its 22-acre beautiful Dhanori lake which attracts tourists and environmentalists. The fresh water lake has been the source of drinking water to nearby localities for decades.
Environmentalists claim that a natural ecosystem has sprung up with a large number of fish, turtles, snakes and water birds nesting near the banks of the lake, over the years making the area a natural heritage site for the citizens.
The forest department is setting up Asia’s largest 450-acre bio-diversity park which would soon be regarded as one of the richest spot amid urban concrete jungle. The new spot on the vast forest land is being developed at the Dhanori hill and will be a replica of Sinhagad Eco-Tourism Centre.
The forest department, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the state Eco-Tourism Development Board (MEDB), the District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) and deemed universities located in the area are jointly working on the project which is likely to be completed in 2019. The civic body has already sanctioned Rs.1.5 crore towards the project work.
RTI activist and social worker Haroonbhai Mulani , who has been passionately working for the conservation of natural nullah spots in Dhanori said that drainage system was under pathetic condition and demanded continuous water supply to areas like Munjoba Vasti which are dominated by the people from poorer sections of the society.
“The influential residential societies get all the civic benefits while the poor inhabitants are facing problems like eviction, water crisis and lack of proper roads which is making their life difficult. Corruption is one of the factors which is stopping the civic amenities from reaching the real beneficiaries,” he said.
Leela Chandran Nair, a resident of Madhavnagar in Munjoba Vasti said that the area was receiving water at very low pressure once in two days. “The PMC must ensure that we get regular drinking water and enhance road and drainage facilities in the area,” she said.