EVEN AS the defence minister’s final nod on reducing the red zone area for the Dehu Road Ammunition Depot is pending, the Pune district collector has decided to initiate a survey of the buildings falling within 1,000 yards with the help of the defence officials after superimposing the maps for the buildings falling in this area. The report is to be prepared by the survey officials by June 25. The collector said the survey was pending and it is being taken up after a recent meeting conducted with the defence officials regarding the red zone. The amount of Rs 43 lakh, which was put up by the survey department to the defence officials, will be waived off by the collector under his powers considering the importance of the issue. [related-post] Watch Video: What's making news “I have decided to waive off this amount although we have written to the defence officials. The matter has been pending and since it is important to get the measurement done after matching the maps with the defence officials, I have directed the survey officials to get in touch with the defence officials and prepare the fusion maps for this area and the survey numbers of the buildings falling in this area,’’ said Collector Saurabh Rao. The Dehu Road red zone issue has been pending for the last three years and activists have been demanding that the area be reduced from 2,000 yards to 600 yards so that the other buildings falling in this area are not affected. The final approval from the ministry of defence is awaited even as several talks have taken place before the defence minister. Created under the Works of Defence Act, 1903, the red zone is a no-development zone around defence establishments like ammunition depots and factories to prevent any damage to human life and property in the event of a mishap at these establishments. The 2,000 yard red zone was marked to create a no-development zone outside its boundaries. This area covers parts of Dehu Road cantonment, PCMC and Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority limits, affecting as many as 50,000 houses in the areas. With the proposal of restrictions going to the district administration, it claimed to have conducted a survey of the land, but said that the actual measurement and maps would incur a cost that has to be borne by the defence authorities.
