As Pune grapples with worsening traffic congestion on its city roads, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is burdened by a substantial financial challenge caused by delayed land acquisition for a crucial seven-kilometer road widening project in the Yerwada area. PMC is set to allocate Rs 916 crores to acquire 15 sites, with costs ballooning by Rs 294 crores due to the delays in land acquisition.
The growing traffic woes have compelled the Municipal Corporation to craft an integrated transport plan for the city’s road network. This plan encompasses various proposals, including level separators, flyovers, service roads, and road widening initiatives. Among the major projects is the expansion of a seven-kilometer stretch from Yerwada to Aaple Ghar society near Wagholi, with the development plan specifying a road width of 60 meters. However, the PMC acknowledges that the suspension of land acquisition proceedings for road expansion has led to a financial setback.
Currently, the land acquisition process is ongoing as per the development plan, with special officers overseeing the proceedings in Yerwada, Vadgaon Sheri, and Lohegaon areas. Notably, a sum of Rs 802 crores, 7 lakh, 4 thousand, and 888 is pending payment following the draft award’s approval. Additionally, an award amount of Rs 114 crores, 56 lakh, 82 thousand, and 655 is outstanding for the widening of a 60-meter road from Vadgaon Sheri, Lohegaon, Kharadi, Nagar Road CTR Company (Viman Nagar).
The sluggish pace of land acquisition for road expansion has not only driven up costs but has also caused traffic bottlenecks at city road junctions. Moreover, the planned service roads remain on paper, exacerbating traffic issues at Viman Nagar Chowk, Inorbit Mall Chowk, and Shastri Nagar.
The original land acquisition amount was significantly lower, but the annual interest of 12 percent has been accruing on that sum, leading to an overall cost increase. Despite these challenges, work is progressing as funding becomes available.
The PMC’s Land Acquisition and Management Department assures that efforts are underway as soon as funding is secured.
