PUNE: Some residents have criticised the smart footpath project along Dr Homi Bhabha Road (Pashan road) till Sus Road and said the reduction in the carriageway would lead to traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.
Sameer Uttarkar, an activist living in Sus, said traffic is less as most offices and all schools, colleges are closed. “Once more things reopen, there will be a lot more traffic,” said Uttarkar. Civic authorities should have acquired additional land for a bigger footpath, he said.
Pashan resident Pramod Nimhan said the extended footpath will also mean that vehicles will be parked on the road, leaving even less space for moving traffic. “We had requested the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) not to build these footpaths in places where the road is narrow,” said Nimhan.
Dinkar Gojare, executive engineer of the PMC road department, said the civic body had taken residents into confidence before finalising the project. He also said the footpath and cycle track being built are in congruence with the urban street design guidelines (USDG) and the pedestrian policy of the PMC. “We have developed roads with a focus on vehicles for so many years. Pedestrians and cyclists are equally important, if not more. We are building better footpaths and cycle tracks on the 2.5km-stretch of Pashan road and then at a 500m stretch of Sus Road,” said Gojare.
Irrigation dept, PMC to hold joint survey along canal
The irrigation department and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are planning to hold a joint survey to identify encroachments along the 27km-long canal which passes through the city, from Sinhagad Road, Dattawadi, Swargate and Hadapsar.
Action will be initiated on basis of outcome of the survey. The irrigation officials said that a meeting will be held soon to chalk out a plan and further course of action.
Some encroachments were removed recently by the irrigation department along the canal in Hadapsar and Swargate area. Similar steps will be taken at other places, the irrigation officials said.
“Encroachments along the canal is a recurring issue. We will write to the PMC to initiate measures to ensure that both banks of the canal remain encroachment-free. There are some spots like Janata Vasahat, Swargate and Hadapsar where illegal huts and constructions come up. The PMC has a separate department and teams to keep an eye on encroachments and illegal constructions. We want the civic administration to conduct similar checks along the canal,” an official said.
Dhiraj Sangade, a local resident from Janata Vasahat area, said that the safety wall has been broken at various locations and the safety mesh is missing at many spots. The officials need to fix it to prevent encroachments.
