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Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Letter to CS on link road from Paud Phata to Balbharati
Pune: Leaders of the city-based "Aapla Parisar" forum, Ujjwal Keskar and Suhas Kulkarni, have written a letter to the chief secretary to allow the construction of the proposed Balbharati to Paud Phata road link. Keskar wrote, "The PMC ( Pune Municipal Corporation ) planned the Balbharati to Paud Phata road link by following all the provisions of the MRTP Act. The Bombay High Court rejected the petition regarding this road and allowed the PMC to construct it. The Supreme Court has not granted any stay on the project. The Central Empowered Committee does not have the authority to stay the direction of the high court; the Supreme Court has the sole authority." Keskar and Kulkarni sent the letter to the chief secretary after the Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee requested the chief secretary to ensure that no construction was carried out in the "deemed forest" area because its report on the proposed road link was pending consideration before the Supreme Court. Keskar claimed that the said area was not declared a deemed forest and hence, state govt should issue appropriate orders to the PMC to make this road available to people after completing all legal procedures. He also plans to approach the Union environment, forests and climate change minister, Bhupender Yadav, regarding the execution of the proposed road link. "We will put forth all the details and documents, and file a formal complaint with the Union environment minister seeking his intervention in the issue," Keskar said.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
No construction of Pune's Balbharati-Paud Phata Road till Supreme Court's decision on inspection report: Apex Court panel to state
1 2 3 4 5 6 Pune: The Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee in a letter on Friday requested the Maharashtra chief secretary to ensure that no construction is carried out in " deemed forest " area as its report on the proposed Balbharati-Paud Phata Road is pending consideration before the apex court. "The matter is under consideration by the Hon'ble Supreme Court . It is requested that no construction work is carried out in 'deemed forest' in violation of the Hon'ble Supreme Court's judgment in the T N Godavarman vs Union of India & Ors. Case (1996) and subsequent orders, and Rule 16 (1) of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023," stated the letter by CEC chairman Siddhanta Das. The letter came in response to a representation by Sumita Kale and others from the Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti (VTBKS) that sought the committee's intervention to prevent "serious environmental destruction of the forest and hill slope on Vetal hill" for the construction of the (2.1km) Balbharati-Paud Phata Road by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). As a planning authority, PMC has proposed the Balbharati-Paud Phata Road with an objective to decongest the traffic from Balbharati to German Bakery Law College, Aathle Chowk and Paud Phata. Environmental activists have been opposing the plan for years now on the grounds that the proposed road would be no solution to resolving the traffic congestion but would only cause huge environmental harm to the hill. On March 2, 2024, Kale and others had approached the Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee with a plea to stop construction of the proposed road. The committee then deputed its member, Sunil Limaye, to assess the situation on ground and get first-hand information and views about the Balbharti-Paud Phata Road from all stakeholders. A joint meeting of the applicants, project proponent (PMC) and the forest department was held on April 5, 2024, and followed by two site inspections on April 12, 2024, and April 15, 2024. Based on a detailed note by Limaye about the assessment exercise, the Central Empowered Committee member secretary, Banumathi G, placed a report on Sept 19, 2024, before the Supreme Court and the same is pending final decision by the court. TOI on Friday made calls and sent a message to state chief secretary Sujata Saunik seeking her response on the matter. However, there was no response till the time of going to press. Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of the PMC's road department, told TOI: "We are waiting for an official copy of the Central Empowered Committee letter and our administration will take a call on future course of action after due legal consultation. We will follow the Supreme Court's directives in the matter." The Central Empowered Committee report to the Supreme Court has elaborated in details various aspects of the issue and concluded, among other things, that constructing the Balbharati-Paud Phata Road Road "will not be a permanent solution to the present problem" and that construction of the proposed road shall not be permitted to save the forest and biodiversity of the area. It stated: "It is a principle proven multiple times world over that more roads do not give permanent solutions to traffic problems. In fact, they lead to more vehicles on the roads which again results in larger traffic congestion." The report has suggested a slew of alternatives and the need to provide an efficient and adequate public transport system, requisite traffic management and good last mile connectivity with mass transit systems. VTBKS member Prajakta Divekar said: "We hope the state govt actively protects Vetal Tekdi as the natural heritage of Pune in the wake of the Central Empowered Committee report." Pune: The Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee in a letter on Friday requested the Maharashtra chief secretary to ensure that no construction is carried out in "deemed forest" area as its report on the proposed Balbharati-Paud Phata Road is pending consideration before the apex court. "The matter is under consideration by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. It is requested that no construction work is carried out in 'deemed forest' in violation of the Hon'ble Supreme Court's judgment in the T N Godavarman vs Union of India & Ors. Case (1996) and subsequent orders, and Rule 16 (1) of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023," stated the letter by CEC chairman Siddhanta Das. The letter came in response to a representation by Sumita Kale and others from the Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti (VTBKS) that sought the committee's intervention to prevent "serious environmental destruction of the forest and hill slope on Vetal hill" for the construction of the (2.1km) Balbharati-Paud Phata Road by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). As a planning authority, PMC has proposed the Balbharati-Paud Phata Road with an objective to decongest the traffic from Balbharati to German Bakery Law College, Aathle Chowk and Paud Phata. Environmental activists have been opposing the plan for years now on the grounds that the proposed road would be no solution to resolving the traffic congestion but would only cause huge environmental harm to the hill. On March 2, 2024, Kale and others had approached the Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee with a plea to stop construction of the proposed road. The committee then deputed its member, Sunil Limaye, to assess the situation on ground and get first-hand information and views about the Balbharti-Paud Phata Road from all stakeholders. A joint meeting of the applicants, project proponent (PMC) and the forest department was held on April 5, 2024, and followed by two site inspections on April 12, 2024, and April 15, 2024. Based on a detailed note by Limaye about the assessment exercise, the Central Empowered Committee member secretary, Banumathi G, placed a report on Sept 19, 2024, before the Supreme Court and the same is pending final decision by the court. TOI on Friday made calls and sent a message to state chief secretary Sujata Saunik seeking her response on the matter. However, there was no response till the time of going to press. Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of the PMC's road department, told TOI: "We are waiting for an official copy of the Central Empowered Committee letter and our administration will take a call on future course of action after due legal consultation. We will follow the Supreme Court's directives in the matter." The Central Empowered Committee report to the Supreme Court has elaborated in details various aspects of the issue and concluded, among other things, that constructing the Balbharati-Paud Phata Road Road "will not be a permanent solution to the present problem" and that construction of the proposed road shall not be permitted to save the forest and biodiversity of the area. It stated: "It is a principle proven multiple times world over that more roads do not give permanent solutions to traffic problems. In fact, they lead to more vehicles on the roads which again results in larger traffic congestion." The report has suggested a slew of alternatives and the need to provide an efficient and adequate public transport system, requisite traffic management and good last mile connectivity with mass transit systems. VTBKS member Prajakta Divekar said: "We hope the state govt actively protects Vetal Tekdi as the natural heritage of Pune in the wake of the Central Empowered Committee report."
