PUNE: MSRDC officials on Tuesday stated that deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had asked them to explore an alternative route alignment, instead of constructing a 700m tunnel through the Bhandara hill in Maval tehsil, as part of the proposed 103km eastern ring road project.
Sandeep Patil, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation’s (MSRDC) executive engineer in charge of land acquisition for the project, said, “The deputy CM has asked us to explore the feasibility of a change in the route alignment. It will involve acquisition of some more land and will increase the ring road length by one km.”
Patil said the MSRDC needed 142.75 hectare of land covering 11 villages in Maval tehsil for the ring road project.. “We have so far completed a joint measurement survey in two villages and have measured about 25.59 hectare land in Maval,” he added.
On Monday, Pawar held a meeting in Mumbai with MSRDC officials and MLAs from Khed and Maval tehsils to discuss the issues relating to the proposed ring road. Members of the Shri Vitthal-Rukhmai Bhandara Dongar Trust and Warkari sect members have opposed the tunnel, because they feared it would disturb the sanctity of the hill, which is connected to the life and literature of Sant Tukaram Maharaj.
Balasaheb Kashid, the trust’s president, said they were not against the project. “We equested political leaders and the MSRDC officials to change the road alignment to save the hill,” he added.
