Pune: BJP Leader Pushes for Balbharti-Paud Phata Road, Urges Immediate Construction of Road
Pune :
Last month, the Bombay High Court gave a landmark verdict on the Balbharti to Paud Phata road. This verdict will relieve nearly 10 lakh citizens from the hassle of traffic congestion. However, the decision has sparked strong and opposite reactions from political leaders and environmentalists alike.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and former Pune Municipal Corporation Standing Committee Chairman Shyam Deshpande welcomed the ruling, highlighting that those environmental concerns delayed the project for over 22 years, worsening air pollution due to heavy congestion on Erandwane, Prabhat Road, Bhandarkar Road, Income Tax Lane, Deccan, and Law College Road. He said, “Environmentalists’ concern for this road expansion has delayed the project for nearly 22 years, causing a lot of difficulty for commuters. But finally, the issue has been resolved in people’s favour with the court’s decision.”
With Pune expanding beyond Kothrud, Karvenagar, Warje, Uttamnagar, Bavdhan, and Bhugaon, he said that a robust road network is crucial. While emphasising urban development, Deshpande reassured that hills and green zones would remain untouched, citing past efforts to preserve Biodiversity Parks (BDP) in the city. He said, “In 2006, when the Development Plan (DP) of the Pune Municipal Corporation was being finalised, we forced the government to cancel the residential zones shown on the hills in the cities, including Baner, Balewadi, Bavdhan, and Kothrud. The reservation of Biodiversity Park (BDP) was maintained in these places.”
Deshpande said, “Environmentalists may fear that if the Balbharti-Paud road is built, there will be more stalls, food stalls, and urban traffic will get around this place.” Therefore, to address environmentalists’ concerns, he suggested that the road should strictly serve as a transport corridor with no diversions or encroachments to this road in between.
Calling the road’s construction a necessity, he urged Kothrud MLA Chandrakant Patil and Pune MP Muralidhar Mohol to direct the Municipal Corporation to immediately float tenders for its execution. He also said that this will provide relief from congestion to people at Karve Road, Nal Stop Chowk, Paud Phata, and Law College Road.
Meanwhile, residents from Pune also expressed their concerns about Pune’s deteriorating Ram River. Dr. Vikas Inamdar, a resident of Bhugaon, criticised the five-year delay in its rejuvenation of the river, blaming illegal constructions, sewage overflows, and debris dumping in the river. He stressed the need for PMRDA’s intervention to restore the river’s year-round flow and prevent waterlogging.
Further, another resident of Kothrud, Manish Puranik, also voiced alarm over rampant sewage discharge, encroachments, and waste dumping in the river, which have led to foul-smelling waters, mosquito infestations, and health hazards for riverside people. He called for comprehensive river management to mitigate flooding and pollution in the river.
