Mohammadwadi residents demand public amenity plots converted into garden and public library

Pune: The residents of Mohammadwadi, NIBM (National Institute of Bank Management) and Undri are seeking the open spaces in the neighbourhood to be converted into

Pune: The residents of Mohammadwadi, NIBM (National Institute of Bank Management) and Undri are seeking the open spaces in the neighbourhood to be converted into public park and public library. Citizens living at the neighbourhood of an underutilised one acre plot are requesting the administration to convert the open space into a public garden. Another plot located in the area and turned into a garbage dump, residents seek it to be converted into a library.

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At least 2,000 residents led by Ganga Kingston Society in Mohammadwadi have petitioned prime minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray seeking direct intervention of their office into sanctioning of playground, public garden and community library for the area.

The citizen group has demanded setting up of a playground-cum-garden at survey number 39 plot located near the society’s building. Also, setting up of a public library at survey number 36 located in front of Gemini Housing Society. The petition states “the amenity spaces are to be utilised for playground, garden, park, yoga meditation parks, forest gardens and community libraries. The citizens require amenities like urban forests, groundwater recharge parks, dug wells, animal shelters, community agri produce gardens, sports academies. The non-availability of amenity space for the above stated objectives means those essential services, amenities do not get rendered effectively to the public as quite evident in the case”.

Ganga Kingston Society secretary Daljeet Goraya said, “We demand immediate scrapping of plans to either lease or sell the public amenity plots. Currently, Mohammadwadi is reeling under sever water crisis due to destruction of environment by land mafia and other criminal syndicates. We have been pursuing our case with the PMC since 2018. PMC had denied us even our legally sanctioned road for which we fought for ten years and won our right through legal cases against the civic body and seeking help from PMO. This time too, we are keeping all our legal options open if our legitimate demands are not met with ,” he said.

PMC mayor Muralidhar Mohol said, “We will recommend the requests made by civic groups to the PMC and ensure that their requests are dealt with positively.”

Another resident Rutuja Pawar said, “PMC must not go against the wishes of the people and immediately issue orders for playground-cum- garden and community library in our area. Citizens expect things which will increase their standard of living and PMC must come up to the aspirations of the people,” she said.