BJP proposes, public disposes: Construction of proposed Balbharat-Paud road likely to become poll issue

However, Chandrakant Patil, along with other BJP leaders, have been pushing for the project while Opposition parties have extended support to the citizens opposing it. BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni too had stood by the citizens over environmental concerns.

Petitioner Sumita Kale approached the Central Empowered Committee on March 2 over the proposed road project.

In a written submission to the committee, BJP leaders Ujjwal Keskar and Suhas Kulkarni said that Kale’s application to the committee is not as per law or the Supreme court directions. Further, the information by the applicant is not factual.

The road will require five hectares of land, which is only 1.71 per cent of area of the hill which spans over 350 hectares, said the BJP leaders . They added that the Karve road and the Senapati Bapat road are 30 metre-wide arterial roads while the proposed road is the main road connecting them that would act as an alternative road to Law College road.

According to the BJP leaders, the proposed road does not pass through the forest area and it is going to be elevated with access control, meaning there will be no illegal encroachment around it. Stating the legality of the project, the BJP leaders said that the road was proposed in the 2007 development plan of the city after hearing suggestion and objections of the public. “The CEC should take our submission in consideration and then take decision on the road project,” they said.

Sumita Kale said the PMC is not considering their own reports, which mentions the environment damage due to the project. “The introduction of the Pune Metro has reduced traffic on Law College road and it will further improve once the Metro starts operating on the Shivajinagar-Hinjewadi route. So, there is no need of the Balbharati-Paud Phata road as its construction would cause damage to the hill,” she said.

The PMC report also states that the ground water acqufiers are going to be damaged due to the construction work and affect the ground water level. “The ground water holds more importance amid the current scenario of water scarcity, than the road that would merely save five minutes of travel time.”