Pune: It has been revealed that MahaMetro did not seek the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) approval while building stations in the first two phases of the project. This lapse has resulted in staircases of some metro stations having been built on footpaths while others close to the roadside, which is causing hurdles to traffic. However, approval has been taken for the third phase of the metro project being built from Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar.
Now, doubts are being raised about MahaMetro’s work.
Works on two metro railway routes, from Vanaz to Ramwadi and Pimpri to Swargate, were launched seven years ago. Currently, Pune Metro is operating on Vanaz to Rubi Hall and Pimpri to Shivajinagar. The entire stretch of the two routes will be operative in a few months, it is said.
The Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar route is likely to be completed in a year’s time.
MahaMetro is carrying out the first phase route works. Tata and Siemens are jointly undertaking the Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar route work. There are 30 stations on the two MahaMetro routes while 23 on the Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar route.
All the three routes have stations at one kilometer distance each. Barring underground stations and depots, all other stations are built over the middle of the road while their staircases have been built on the footpaths. The Parnkuti station in Yerawada is an example of this. Pedestrians are finding it difficult to walk on such pavements. Another station on the Ahmednagar road is built partly on the footpath and the road. Since the BRT route has also occupied the carriage width, it has been reduced further. Former corporator Avinash Salve had agitated over this issue last week.
The road in front of the State Education Board in Shivajinagar is 24-m wide. Metro work has started in the middle of this road. The street is always crowded with private and public vehicles going towards and coming from the railway station and the ST stand. The said metro construction is illegal and may cause huge traffic snarls. It has been demanded that the construction should be removed.
When contacted, senior civic officials said that MahaMetro has not sought the approval from the PMC’s Building Department. The Metro station construction maps have not been approved in coordination with the civic body. On the other hand, Tata, Siemens and civic engineers, on the condition of anonymity, said that they have surveyed the sites of metro stations on the Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar route and taken approval for them.
Besides metro stations, faults have been detected in MahaMetro’s other works. This had caused a big row a few months ago, after which the CoEP conducted an audit of these works.
Now, the issue of approval for stations has again raised doubts about MahaMetro’s style of functioning.
