Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (File photo)
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who visited Hinjewadi on Sunday directed authorities to take all necessary steps to address the issues of water-logging on public issues and traffic hassles faced by residents and IT professionals.
Responding to the directives, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) administration said it will undertake a massive anti-encroachment drive from July 17 to ease the traffic congestion faced by motorists.
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The deputy chief minister, who reached Hinjewadi at 6 am, first inspected the Croma Metro station area where the IT professionals complained about traffic jams.
The Deputy CM asked the officials to take immediate action in the matter to ease the traffic flow. He directed officials to construct new roads, and expedite the existing road works.
He directed PMRDA and police officials to act tough against those who create obstructions for construction of roads by putting them behind bars. “Don’t listen to anyone. File cases under Section 353…Those who obstruct work should be put behind bars. Those whose land is being acquired will get TDR. We will do whatever is possible,” Pawar said.
After inspecting the streams and nullahs on which encroachments have taken place, Pawar directed immediate action for their removal.
The deputy CM said that two agencies will be appointed to look into the issue.
“We have decided to appoint two agencies in this regard. One of the agencies has been asked to prepare a report to restore the nullahs and stream to their original status. The illegal structures on these streams and nullahs have affected the natural flow of rainwater. Our aim is to ensure that there is no flooding even during rain,” he said.
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Pawar said if permissions have been given for constructions on streams and nullahs, then a stop-work notice should be issued.
“At least at five spots, water flow is affected as constructions have come up on streams. These constructions should be removed… One of the gram panchayats has decided to set up a vegetable market on stream. We have asked them to stop its work,” he said.
Pawar also held a meeting with PMRDA and other civic and traffic officials.
Speaking after meeting top officials at PRMDA office, Ajit Pawar said that at Laxmi Chowk, there is a regular traffic jam.
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“I told officials to design a flyover like the Bhakti Shakti chowk in Nigdi. At Croma Metro, the road has been dug up. I have directed the Tata company to repair the road. IT professionals complained that the dug-up road was causing traffic jams. Besides, there are some underpasses, which are creating problems. I have directed officials to look into it.”
The deputy CM said he will personally review the works undertaken in Hinjewadi area.
“ I will be reviewing the work every 7 to 10 days. Be it road widening, construction of new roads, laying of new pipelines, improving storm water drains, constructing footpaths….Some works are short-term, some are long-term,” he said.
In a social media post, Pawar said, “Today, I inspected various development works and local problems related to Pune Metro Line 3 at Rajiv Gandhi IT Park, in Hinjewadi in Pune. This included the review of the work at Station No 6, Croma, Station No 2 and 3, Helipad Circle, Maan Road, Maan Village, Laxmi chowk and other area. I discussed the issues of water-logging during rain, the condition of roads, traffic congestion and other problems with officials. I directed officials to take immediate action.”
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PMRDA commissioner Yogesh Mhase said that they will begin the anti-encroachment drive in Hinjewadi on July 17.
“There are at least 5-6 streams and nullahs on which commercial and residential structures have come up, affecting the flow of water. We will prepare a plan for demolishing these structures…. We will investigate as to who changed the natural course of the streams and nullahs, and then appropriate action will be taken against the concerned officials,” he told The Indian Express.
“PMRDA has proposed some new roads in the Hinjewadi area. We will soon be issuing tenders for these roads,” Mhase added.
Ajit Pawar’s Hinjewadi visit came after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered setting up of a Single-Point Authority to address issues in Hinjewadi.
Manoj More has been working with the Indian Express since 1992. For the first 16 years, he worked on the desk, edited stories, made pages, wrote special stories and handled The Indian Express edition. In 31 years of his career, he has regularly written stories on a range of topics, primarily on civic issues like state of roads, choked drains, garbage problems, inadequate transport facilities and the like. He has also written aggressively on local gondaism. He has primarily written civic stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Khadki, Maval and some parts of Pune. He has also covered stories from Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Ahmednagar and Latur. He has had maximum impact stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial city which he has covered extensively for the last three decades.
Manoj More has written over 20,000 stories. 10,000 of which are byline stories. Most of the stories pertain to civic issues and political ones. The biggest achievement of his career is getting a nearly two kilometre road done on Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki in 2006. He wrote stories on the state of roads since 1997. In 10 years, nearly 200 two-wheeler riders had died in accidents due to the pathetic state of the road. The local cantonment board could not get the road redone as it lacked funds. The then PMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi took the initiative, went out of his way and made the Khadki road by spending Rs 23 crore from JNNURM Funds. In the next 10 years after the road was made by the PMC, less than 10 citizens had died, effectively saving more than 100 lives.
Manoj More's campaign against tree cutting on Pune-Mumbai highway in 1999 and Pune-Nashik highway in 2004 saved 2000 trees.
During Covid, over 50 doctors were asked to pay Rs 30 lakh each for getting a job with PCMC. The PCMC administration alerted Manoj More who did a story on the subject, asking then corporators how much money they demanded....The story worked as doctors got the job without paying a single paisa.
Manoj More has also covered the "Latur drought" situation in 2015 when a "Latur water train" created quite a buzz in Maharashtra. He also covered the Malin tragedy where over 150 villagers had died.
Manoj More is on Facebook with 4.9k followers (Manoj More), on twitter manojmore91982 ... Read More
