Unending Redevelopment Wears Away Charm of Pune's Deccan

Time of India

25-05-2025

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"I remember seeing children play cricket on Bhandarkar Road in the afternoons, that's how empty the streets were at one point in time…"
"Senapati Bapat Road used to be tree-lined when I was a child.
It was extremely pleasant to walk along the stretch…."
"The Deccan area has lost its charm and character amid all the rapid development…"
As the Deccan area undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis, with construction cranes punctuating the skyline and new businesses setting up shot, longtime residents not pleased. They remember the neighbourhood's tranquil past, now lost to growing traffic congestion, dwindling green spaces and mounting water woes.
These residents, while supportive of the development, question the trade-offs. "It started with banks and then came offices, followed by eateries. Today, every nook and corner in the area has a restaurant, cafe or office. This has changed the core demographic of the locality," said Anil Kelkar, a resident of the Deccan area for 50 years.
Kelkar nostalgically recalled the carefree cycling days on quiet roads like Bhandarkar Road and Prabhat Road, now congested due to unchecked growth.
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"As families become more nuclear, redevelopment is inevitable. But unchecked growth is overwhelming the area's narrow roads, leaving little space for driving, walking, parking or even standing," Kelkar said.
He blamed the unregulated rise in traffic for the indiscipline among vehicle users, who were growing impatient by the day.
Another longtime resident, Monika Pandhare said redevelopment is not the problem, but commercialization is.
"The rapid commercialization has brought with it civic issues. Eateries leaving garbage outside attracts community dogs, who scatter the trash, creating a mess. Instead of penalising the eateries, the streeties are blamed," she said.
Pandhare recalls how the area blessed with wide banyan trees lost the greenery to road widening over the years. "While there is no harm in pruning or trimming trees, cutting them down entirely for development projects like roads and buildings should not be allowed.
Redevelopment can coexist with environment preservation," she said, while attributing the rising temperatures to the loss of green cover and increase in concreting activities.
Meher Gadekar of Bhandarkar Road also fondly remembered the neighbourhood's picturesque streets lined with trees, where temperatures were once pleasant. However, rapid redevelopment is erasing the area's charm, destroying old buildings and straining infrastructure, she said.
"The surge in residents and commuters has led to crumbling infrastructure, including poorly maintained or non-existent footpaths, making daily walks with my 70-year-old father a daunting task," she said.
Gadekar expressed frustration with the neighbourhood's condition, partly blaming citizens for littering and disregarding property owners.
"We have a bungalow on Bhandarkar Road and people often stand outside and have tea or snacks, and even smoke.
They then discard the trash, which I have to clean eventually. This lack of civic responsibility is driving me crazy and making me dislike living here anymore," she said.
The area's rapid growth, with new businesses and eateries, is straining infrastructure and resources, particularly water. Once immune to water shortages, Deccan residents now frequently call for tankers. Concreting is hindering groundwater recharge.
During monsoons, flooding becomes a major issue, forcing residents to navigate waterlogged streets.
"We receive water at low pressure now, forcing many societies to rely on tankers. Redevelopment has eaten into the green cover with tall buildings blocking even sunlight to existing and new saplings planted in the area," a resident, who is a software engineer, said.
Anupama Oak, who has lived in the area for 65 years, said the constant construction, roadwork and resulting dust have become overwhelming.
"I was born and brought up in this area and I can feel the changes. Dust and pollution have become a part of our lives now with traffic and construction noise just adding to the discomfort," Oak, a market researcher, said.
Citizens' participation must to improve situation
The Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS) has been playing a crucial role in ensuring that the neighbourhood issues are resolved. Attending mohalla committee meetings and holding authorities answerable to changes are at the core of its functioning.
"All the residents have been actively voicing their opinions on major changes to the locale, be it road construction on Vetal Tekdi or water tank construction on Hanuman Tekdi. It is this unity that continues to ensure that effective governance prevails. The DGPS members interact with authorities regularly, which is why civic issues are tackled effectively," Gadekar said.
Oak emphasized that citizen participation is essential for a neighbourhood's improvement.
"Everyone must contribute to drive positive change as residents are the ones most affected by local issues and have the power to shape the community," she added.
"The way construction is progressing in Deccan, there will soon be no trees left," said Pratap Raval, professor and retired head of department of town planning department at College of Engineering Pune (tech).
"Wherever new construction is underway, tree cover is reduced.
One of my students did a study on redevelopment in Deccan in 2007, predicting how it would look by the end of the 1987 DP period that year. But with current FSI provisions, it exceeds predictions and spells worry for the future. Today, 4 FSI is granted — three times what was allowed earlier. We are building a concrete jungle, leaving no greenery. Water shortage is already a reality.
PMC must look at civic amenities required before blindly granting more building permissions," he added.
Official Says
Issues like water supply and roadworks are taken care of by PMC's respective main departments. Garbage is picked up daily, and we ensure the area is clean. For chronic dumping spots, we have sent officials to talk to residents and commuters, and fine them when needed. As far as redevelopment in Deccan area is concerned, we sometimes get complaints related to construction material lying on the roads. Officials then visit the spot and take action — Govind Dangat | Assistant Municipal Commissioner and shivajinagar-Ghole Road Ward Office In-charge for PMC
"I remember seeing children play cricket on Bhandarkar Road in the afternoons, that's how empty the streets were at one point in time…"
"Senapati Bapat Road used to be tree-lined when I was a child.
It was extremely pleasant to walk along the stretch…."
"The Deccan area has lost its charm and character amid all the rapid development…"
As the Deccan area undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis, with construction cranes punctuating the skyline and new businesses setting up shot, longtime residents not pleased. They remember the neighbourhood's tranquil past, now lost to growing traffic congestion, dwindling green spaces and mounting water woes.
These residents, while supportive of the development, question the trade-offs. "It started with banks and then came offices, followed by eateries. Today, every nook and corner in the area has a restaurant, cafe or office. This has changed the core demographic of the locality," said Anil Kelkar, a resident of the Deccan area for 50 years.
Kelkar nostalgically recalled the carefree cycling days on quiet roads like Bhandarkar Road and Prabhat Road, now congested due to unchecked growth.
"As families become more nuclear, redevelopment is inevitable. But unchecked growth is overwhelming the area's narrow roads, leaving little space for driving, walking, parking or even standing," Kelkar said.
He blamed the unregulated rise in traffic for the indiscipline among vehicle users, who were growing impatient by the day.
Another longtime resident, Monika Pandhare said redevelopment is not the problem, but commercialization is.
"The rapid commercialization has brought with it civic issues. Eateries leaving garbage outside attracts community dogs, who scatter the trash, creating a mess. Instead of penalising the eateries, the streeties are blamed," she said.
Pandhare recalls how the area blessed with wide banyan trees lost the greenery to road widening over the years. "While there is no harm in pruning or trimming trees, cutting them down entirely for development projects like roads and buildings should not be allowed.
Redevelopment can coexist with environment preservation," she said, while attributing the rising temperatures to the loss of green cover and increase in concreting activities.
Meher Gadekar of Bhandarkar Road also fondly remembered the neighbourhood's picturesque streets lined with trees, where temperatures were once pleasant. However, rapid redevelopment is erasing the area's charm, destroying old buildings and straining infrastructure, she said.
"The surge in residents and commuters has led to crumbling infrastructure, including poorly maintained or non-existent footpaths, making daily walks with my 70-year-old father a daunting task," she said.
Gadekar expressed frustration with the neighbourhood's condition, partly blaming citizens for littering and disregarding property owners.
"We have a bungalow on Bhandarkar Road and people often stand outside and have tea or snacks, and even smoke.
They then discard the trash, which I have to clean eventually. This lack of civic responsibility is driving me crazy and making me dislike living here anymore," she said.
The area's rapid growth, with new businesses and eateries, is straining infrastructure and resources, particularly water. Once immune to water shortages, Deccan residents now frequently call for tankers. Concreting is hindering groundwater recharge.
During monsoons, flooding becomes a major issue, forcing residents to navigate waterlogged streets.
"We receive water at low pressure now, forcing many societies to rely on tankers. Redevelopment has eaten into the green cover with tall buildings blocking even sunlight to existing and new saplings planted in the area," a resident, who is a software engineer, said.
Anupama Oak, who has lived in the area for 65 years, said the constant construction, roadwork and resulting dust have become overwhelming.
"I was born and brought up in this area and I can feel the changes. Dust and pollution have become a part of our lives now with traffic and construction noise just adding to the discomfort," Oak, a market researcher, said.
Citizens' participation must to improve situation
The Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS) has been playing a crucial role in ensuring that the neighbourhood issues are resolved. Attending mohalla committee meetings and holding authorities answerable to changes are at the core of its functioning.
"All the residents have been actively voicing their opinions on major changes to the locale, be it road construction on Vetal Tekdi or water tank construction on Hanuman Tekdi. It is this unity that continues to ensure that effective governance prevails. The DGPS members interact with authorities regularly, which is why civic issues are tackled effectively," Gadekar said.
Oak emphasized that citizen participation is essential for a neighbourhood's improvement.
"Everyone must contribute to drive positive change as residents are the ones most affected by local issues and have the power to shape the community," she added.
"The way construction is progressing in Deccan, there will soon be no trees left," said Pratap Raval, professor and retired head of department of town planning department at College of Engineering Pune (tech).
"Wherever new construction is underway, tree cover is reduced.
One of my students did a study on redevelopment in Deccan in 2007, predicting how it would look by the end of the 1987 DP period that year. But with current FSI provisions, it exceeds predictions and spells worry for the future. Today, 4 FSI is granted — three times what was allowed earlier. We are building a concrete jungle, leaving no greenery. Water shortage is already a reality.
PMC must look at civic amenities required before blindly granting more building permissions," he added.
Official Says
Issues like water supply and roadworks are taken care of by PMC's respective main departments. Garbage is picked up daily, and we ensure the area is clean. For chronic dumping spots, we have sent officials to talk to residents and commuters, and fine them when needed. As far as redevelopment in Deccan area is concerned, we sometimes get complaints related to construction material lying on the roads. Officials then visit the spot and take action — Govind Dangat | Assistant Municipal Commissioner and shivajinagar-Ghole Road Ward Office In-charge for PMC