Pune: The Devendra Fadnavis-led government has agreed to the Development Plan (DP) for the old Pune area. However, activists allege that the plan was passed with an eye on the upcoming civic polls.
Activists claim that the long-pending draft DP, which details a 20-year (2007-2027) development programme for the area, was passed with no major changes to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) draft, thus retaining the flaws of the old plan.
“Norms for reservations like the number of schools, gardens, open spaces, had been severely diluted in the draft DP. The present government seems to have glossed over these dilutions,” city-based Right to Information (RTI) activist Vijay Kumbhar said.
He added that it was unclear in the PMC’s pending DP how it would mobilise funds for the plan’s implementation.
“In the new endorsement by the Fadnavis government, the process of fund mobilisation is similarly vague. Unless it is clear, the DP will not be implemented whether or not the BJP wins the PMC [polls],” he said.
The plan aims to bring about change to address the traffic problems in the area and also redevelop old buildings.
The State government has retained 850 of the 937 reservations proposed in the draft DP. Pune Metro Rail routes have also been marked in the area.
Architect Sarang Yadwadkar, who was part of the experts committee panel appointed to revise the draft DP, expressed concern over the issue of road widening. “It is hard to comment on the few things which Mr. Fadnavis declared while announcing the finalisation of the DP. We will have to see how they implement the proposed changes for the route in the metro zone.”
According to Mr. Kumbhar, the PMC’s draft did not comply with conditions imposed by the State Irrigation Department pertaining to the recycling of water and water supply. “The same non-compliance has been endorsed by the government as well, without any mention of projects that could be used for recycling, storage and provision of used water,” he said.
He also said that the plan is vague about provisions for solid waste management.
The previous DP, which was prepared in 1987 for 20 years, expired in 2007. The civic administration has since failed to come up with a new plan on time. The draft DP for the old city was prepared in 2012 under the chairmanship of PMC engineer Prashant Waghmare. The civic body then invited suggestions and objections to the plan and received 87,000 replies between March and June 2013. The maximum objections were to the widening of roads in the congested Peth area.
The State government appointed a three-member committee in 2015, under Pune Divisional Commissioner S. Chockalingam, to revise the draft DP after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)–headed PMC failed to approve it within the stipulated time.
In September the same year, the committee submitted its recommendations, suggesting a 30-34 per cent change in reservations for spaces.
