PCMC chief rules out dismantling BRTS lanes

Singh said all efforts were being made to strengthen BRTS and the entire public transport system. “There should be more buses on the road, more routes and less private vehicles. We should encourage public buses and discourage private vehicles from coming on to the roads,” Singh said during an interaction with The Indian Express on Monday.

The opposition to BRTS has been growing in Pimpri-Chinchwad, especially after the Pune Metro service was flagged. Citizens have been complaining that the road width has shrunk with BRTS and the Metro occupying one side of the highway stretch and the smart city footpath project being implemented on the other side.

During his interaction, the PCMC commissioner spoke on a range of issues including the way PCMC was handling guillain-barre syndrome (GBS) cases, the city’s expansion needs, water supply, drainage system, growing traffic congestion and garbage disposal system.

Regarding the Metro ridership, Singh said he was confident that as the Metro network expanded, the ridership would increase further.

”When it comes to Metro systems, there is something called the network effect. As the network expands, the ridership grows. As we have four-five more routes, the Metro ridership will grow for sure. We have to make all efforts to ensure last-mile connectivity. Steps have already been taken on that front,” he said.

In the wake of the detection of the GBS case in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Singh denied allegations that citizens were not getting 100 percent treated water. ”This allegation is not true. We are treating water cent percent, purifying it and then supplying it to citizens. This is done at both Ravet and Chikhli treatment plants. But yes, I agree that issues might crop up if a drainage line which runs close to the drinking water pipeline develops problems. But to say that we are not treating water 100 per cent before supplying to citizens is not true,” he said.

As for the tankers supplying water, the PCMC chief said the civic administration does not control the private tankers. ”But in view of the GBS cases, we might now intervene and ensure that the wells are disinfected… But I want to stress that the majority of the residential societies do not use tanker water for drinking purposes. There might only be a handful of them doing so… Going forward, we might have to take a call regarding monitoring private tankers,” he said.

The PCMC chief also ruled out the possibility of the civic body taking care of the hazardous industrial waste in Pimpri-Chinchwad-Bhosari industrial area. ”That is looked after by the MIDC which carries the waste to Ranjangaon. PCMC does not interfere with it,” he said.