In a stern move to preserve green belt areas, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued anti-encroachment notices to 30 properties, predominantly food joints and marriage lawns, situated off DP Road in Karvenagar. These businesses face demolition if they fail to comply with the orders and remove the encroachments established in violation of green belt regulations.
The green belt regulations explicitly prohibit the construction of residential or commercial buildings in these areas. PMC officials emphasize that the businesses notified must promptly address the encroachments, or the civic body will initiate a demolition drive in the specified zones.
Last year, PMC executed a substantial anti-encroachment drive in these areas, dismantling over 4 lakh square feet of illegal constructions in a single day. Despite the extensive efforts, the prohibited structures have resurfaced, prompting the recent round of notices.
The demolished structures included concrete buildings, lawns, marriage halls, and kitchens associated with prominent eateries. PMC deployed approximately 200 civic staff, including members from local ward offices, departments overseeing building permissions and anti-encroachment, and police personnel during the previous drive.
While PMC officials assert that only agricultural activities and construction are permitted in the green zone, many landowners have established lawns, restaurants, and marriage halls, contravening the specified regulations.
Challenges arise in legal proceedings against these establishments, as owners frequently file lawsuits in response to the notices. Civic activists allege that political leaders, who own a significant portion of the properties in question, contribute to the persistence of encroachments by leveraging their influence.
Civic officials report the drafting of maps for red and blue lines, designating man-made boundaries for river areas, factoring in floodlines and flood likelihood. The space between two blue lines alongside rivers, such as the Mula-Mutha, is designated as a prohibited zone, with specific construction restrictions based on zones.
Despite ongoing efforts to curb violations, encroachments persist, and civic activists argue that political clout continues to impede effective action against illegal constructions.
