1. Chaotic and Unplanned Development: The group criticized the ad-hoc planning of flyovers and grade separators along Nagar Road. They fear this will only shift congestion from one area to another without offering long-term relief.
2. Lack of Preparedness: The citizens were shocked by the lack of coordination and consideration in integrating these projects with existing infrastructure along the 7 km stretch of Nagar Road.
3. Contradiction to Carbon Neutral Plans: The construction of more flyovers and underpasses contradicts the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) goal of making the city carbon-neutral.
4. Site Visit Exposed Gaps: During a site visit on August 22, 2024, with traffic police and PMC officials, several issues came to light:
– No consideration had been given to how the Y-shaped flyover and grade separator at Shastri Nagar would integrate with other peripheral roads, underpasses, and projects, including the NHAI double/triple flyover, the Kharadi bypass, and the MahaMetro alignment.
– The cumulative environmental impact of these interlinked projects had not been assessed, despite a Supreme Court ruling against segmenting projects to bypass environmental clearances.
– The traffic police had been kept in the dark about these projects, raising concerns about traffic management during and after construction.
5. Objections and Requests: A formal objection titled “Demand for Integrated Master Plan before Start of Construction” was submitted on August 23, 2024. This was followed by a detailed objection on August 26, 2024, with a request to hold a meeting under the PUMTA platform.
6. PMC’s Non-Response: The PMC’s Project Department has not adequately addressed the concerns raised in writing, prompting frustration over the apparent lack of planning and coordination for such crucial infrastructure development.
7. Citing Mumbai’s Gokhale Bridge Failure: The Association referenced the recent failure of the Gokhale Bridge project in Mumbai, where poor planning led to a six-foot gap between two bridges, causing public outcry. They warned against repeating similar mistakes in Pune.
Demands:
In light of these concerns, the Association has made the following demands:
a) Comprehensive Master Plan: PMC must develop an Integrated Master Plan covering all road-related projects, including the NHAI flyover, Kharadi bypass, MahaMetro, and Shivane-Kharadi roads, as well as peripheral streets along Nagar Road.
b)Detailed Reports: PMC must prepare and share detailed reports, including project, environmental, socio-economic, and financial feasibility reports. Data on proposed tree cutting/transplanting and a current traffic survey must also be shared.
c) Interdepartmental Coordination: The PMC must ensure cohesive collaboration between its departments.
d) Traffic Police NOC: The Traffic Police must study and approve the projects, ensuring smooth traffic management both during and after construction.
e)Budget and Timeline Adherence: PMC must ensure that the Shastri Nagar project does not exceed the ₹97 crore budget or the 30-month completion timeline.
f) NHAI Flyover: The NHAI must halt its flyover construction from Shirur/Shikrapur near Viman Nagar as it could conflict with MahaMetro’s alignment.
g) Prioritization of Riverside Road: The PMC must prioritize completing the Shivane-Kharadi Riverside Road to divert traffic from Nagar Road.
h) BRTS Corridor Removal: The remaining portion of the BRTS corridor along Nagar Road, including 7 bus shelters, must be scrapped to optimize road width.
i) Land Acquisition: The PMC must acquire 15 remaining land portions along Nagar Road as per the 1987 Development Plan to eliminate bottlenecks.
j) Traffic Survey Post-Completion: After completing the above points, a new traffic survey must be conducted.
k) Project Halt: The Association demands that the Shastri Nagar flyover project be put on hold until a comprehensive integrated master plan is developed.
Legal Action:
The authorities have been asked to respond to the concerns within one month, failing which the Association will initiate legal proceedings.
The notice is signed by Qaneez-E-Fatemah Sukhrani, Ashutosh Pravin Mashruwala, Umesh Sandipan Magar, Abbas Mohamed Husein Gadhia, and Advocate Ronita Bhattacharya Bector.