Pune-Mumbai section dropped from high speed rail corridor plan

In what would be another setback to Pune’s connectivity and railway woes, the Railway Board has decided to do away with the Pune-Mumbai section in its high speed Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor plan. The bullet train will now run only between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The board apparently took the decision due to financial constraints as the budget for the project was considerably shooting up because of the ghat section between Pune and Mumbai.

“It’s basically a Western Railway project and very little portion of Maharashtra was being covered under it. Hence, the Maharashtra government was showing little interest in the project and was also reluctant to bear a financial burden. That is the reason why the Railway Board has decided against including the Pune-Mumbai portion in the high speed corridor,” said V A Malegaonkar, Chief Public Relations Officer (PRO), Western Railway.

This would be another big blow to Pune after it got a thumbs down in the latest Union Railway Budget. The high speed corridor had a lot of significance for the city. There are a large number of businessmen who shuttle between Pune and Mumbai or Ahmedabad. The bullet train project would have brought the travel time between Pune and Mumbai down to one hour and between Pune and Ahmedabad to approximately three hours.

The project was announced in the 2009 Railway Budget but was progressing at a snail’s pace for want of funds and due to technical hurdles. Recently, the project got a shot in the arm when the Indian Railways and the Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Francais (SNCF), the French National Railways, signed an MoU for technical cooperation, under which a decision to carry out an ‘operations and development’ feasibility study on the high speed rail corridor was taken. SNCF also showed interest in funding the Rs 63,000-crore project with support from the country’s finance ministry.

Harsha Shah of Railway Pravasi Group said the state government still had time to act and make sure Pune was included in the project again.

“It would be a great misfortune for the city if it misses this opportunity. The state government should immediately approach the Railway Board with an attractive proposal such as easy land acquisition or funds. The project is vital for growth and development of the city and if Pune is kept out of it, it would be a huge loss to the city and its citizens,” said Shah.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/punemumbai-section-dropped-from-high-speed-rail-corridor-plan/1086191/0

City to get water from Mulshi dam

After Panshet, Varasgaon, Khadakwasla and Bhama Askhed, the state will for the first time tap water from Mulshi dam on the Mula river to meet the demand of the fast-growing Pune city, which has been reeling under severe water shortage for the past few years.

Congress MLC Mohan Joshi on Tuesday said the state government has given an assurance in the House to tap Mulshi dam to meet the increased water demand of the city.

In response to the issue raised in the state legislative council, Joshi said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had clarified that there was no scope for building a new dam to meet the requirements of the city.

“The state government would tap water from Mulshi dam, keeping in view the increase in demand in the next 30 years. The agreement with Tata Power Company has not been revised in the last 100 years and it would be done keeping in mind the water demands of the city,” Pawar assured the House.
The Deputy Chief Minister, reiterating that the state government is committed to meeting the water demand of Pune, mentioned that the PMC has the responsibility of recycling sewer water before releasing it into the river so that it can be used for agricultural purposes.

Thus, the PMC should start sewage treatment plants with full capacity and ensure 6.5 TMC of treated water is released into the river as per the agreement with the irrigation department. The irrigation department presently provides 16 TMC to PMC to meet its drinking water demand.
Joshi said he has urged the state government to allow 5 TMC water to be drawn from Mulshi dam to meet the increased demand of the city.

The Congress MLC further said that he raised the issue as the city was growing at a fast pace with an increase in population. The state has already merged 23 villages with PMC and would soon be merging 28 more.

Earlier, water resources minister Krishna Valley Development Corporation, Ramraje Nimbalkar, said the state government has decided to provide 2.67 TMC from Bhama Askhed dam to Pune and it would be increased by one TMC as per need.

The PMC currently draws water from the Panshet, Varasgaon, Khadakwasla and Bhama Askhed dams. The city has been facing water shortage for the last few years and the civic body had to impose water cuts in summer to ensure that supply lasts until monsoon refills the dams.

Source :- http://www.indianexpress.com/news/city-to-get-water-from-mulshi-dam/1087244/0z

Better connectivity to boost realty development in Pune

Koregaon Park is regarded as the most prestigious place in Pune and is also growing as a commercial hub in the city. The entire stretch from Koregaon Park, Mundhwa to Magarpatta has a wide range of offices, malls, hospitals, schools, colleges, entertainment facilities, among many others. As a result, the main roads during peak hours of the morning and evening often have traffic congestion problems.


To solve traffic issues in this part of the city, a new D.P road is being constructed from Koregaon Park and Mundhwa to Solapur Road. Experts point out that the road had been planned much earlier, but it is now being developed.
Atul Chordia, MD, Panchshil Realty says, “The new D.P road from Mundhwa to Magarpatta City has been sanctioned sincce the past four years. The two roads on both ends are ready, the bridge in the middle that is close to the railway track is still to be developed. But the construction of the bridge has not yet been tendered out and the tender process would take around six months. Once the entire bridge is fully functional, it would ease a lot of traffic in the area, especially in the morning at peak hours.”

With the road fully developed and functional, Chordia believes that it will help in the infrastructure of the city. He also suggests that the municipality follow the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) module for implementing roads in Pune, as they won’t have to spend much money through this.

The new road will also bring areas closer to each other. Koregaon Park will soon become the closest neighbourhood locations from Magarpatta, says Pravin Mahurkar, Head (Pune) – Residential Services, Jones Lang LaSalle India.

He adds, “Crossing North main road towards Koregaon Park annexe approaching Mundhwa Road is the point of the most talked-about new D.P. road that will connect Koregaon Park to Magarpatta. This connecting route from Magarpatta to Koregaon Park will fuel the development of residential projects, as it provides a vast improvement in commuting towards the CBD (Central Business District).”

Adding to the development is Hadapsar and adjoining areas. Apart from being an easy commute and a time-saver, connectivity will also have a great impact on housing development.Creating an additional road link in the city, this D.P road has long been written down in the development plans for Pune, says Satish Magar, President – CREDAI Maharashtra and MD, Magarpatta Township Development Construction Company Limited. “The road from Koregaon Park goes all the way right up to Solapur Road. This is also an alternative road to reach Magarpatta City. The main aim behind constructing this road is to ease traffic in the area. Although the roads are ready, the bridge will still take around one-and-a-half to two years to build.”
Namita Shetty, a resident of Koregaon Park says, “The area is very noisy and there is always a traffic jam on the main road. Because of the congestion, going from one place to another takes ages. Now with this new road and the bridge once constructed it will be much easier travelling to places. Pune requires many more such roads for its development.”

Experts and developers share the sentiment when it comes to the development of the city. They agree that with such roads being constructed in Pune, more frequently, it would bring areas closer together, reduce traffic woes and help in the growth of the city as well.

Source: Times Property, The Times of India, Pune

City improvement committee unhappy

The members of the city improvement committee of PimpriChinchwad municipal corporation expressed displeasure about being sidelined by the town planning department.
Shubhagi Borhade, chairperson presided over the meeting. Shiv Sena corporator Seema Savale raised the subject of tabling a proposal about the development plan of newly merged village of Tathawade, directly before the civic general body (GB) for approval around a week back instead of tabling it before the committee for initial approval.
She alleged that the town planning department was trying to deprive the committee of its powers by directly tabling the proposal before the GB for approval instead of tabling it before the committee for initial approval.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporators Prashant Shitole and Narayan Bahirwade too raised this subject at the meeting.
Later speaking to mediapersons, Prashant Shitole said, “The committee has a separate existence which must be preserved by not depriving it of its powers. Pratibha Bhadane, deputy director, town planning had said that the civic body had announced its move to prepare the draft DP of Tathawade village on April 5, 2011 as per the government records. It has to table the draft DP before the general body for approval within two years so the civic administration had tabled the short notice proposal before the general body.”
Meanwhile the Tathawade village had been merged by the state government into municipal limits in 2009. Earlier this village was surrounded by municipal limits on three sides prior to its merger. The civic body had started the process to prepare the draft DP of this village after the merger to enable it to provide civic amenities like gardens, roads, hospitals, water supply and drainage network to the local residents.
The civic body has reserved plots in the village for providing these civic amenities. It will be able to start the land acquisition process for acquiring these reserved plots after the DP is approved by the state government.

Source :- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/City-improvement-committee-unhappy/articleshow/18880039.cms

Widening of highways on cards

PUNE: The hurdles in the way of widening of state and national highways that pass through the district are likely to be cleared after a meeting on Tuesday between officials of the public works department (PWD) and the national highway authority of India (NHAI).
District collector Vikas Deshmukh, who had called the meeting, said, “The Pune-Nashik national highway, the Pune-Saswad-Jejuri state highway and the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur-Navhara road projects have been delayed due to villagers’ opposition to acquisition of land. I have now asked officials concerned to hold discussions with villagers and initiate land acquisition process on priority. The officials will get police protection if required.”
Deshmukh said that traffic on national and state highways that pass through Pune has been increasing constantly. There is an urgent need to address the issue to streamline traffic, especially that of heavy vehicles, said Deshmukh.
Deshmukh said the district administration has already completed survey for land acquisition in nine villages along the Pune-Nashik highway, but the villagers have stuck the work. Similar issues were faced in the Pune-Saswad-Jejuri road project. The administration will deal with such oppositions and resolve the issues at the earliest, he said.
Deshmukh said there was a plan to contruct a 13-km by-pass between Talegaon and Chakan that will pass though the MIDC area. For this, there is a proposal to acquire 53 hectares of land.
The government has planned to widen the Pune-Nashik highway and the Pune-Saswad-Jejuri highway to four lanes from the existing two lanes. Besides, there is a plan to widen the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur-Nhavra road to four lanes.
The widening of the Pune-Nashik highway will reduce frequent traffic jams at Narayangaon, Chakan, Alephata. The four laning of the Talegaon-Shikrapur road will reduce the number of heavy vehicles entering the city as vehicles coming from Mumbai will get direct access to Ahmednagar and Solapur highways.
Road widening projects in Pune district…
*Four laning of the Pune-Nashik highway
*Four laning of the Pune-Saswad-Jejuri state highway
*Expansion of the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur-Navhara road
*Bypass from Talegaon to Chakan MIDC
*Four laning of the Baramati-Phaltan Road

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Widening-of-highways-on-cards/articleshow/18825026.cms

Work on metro rail project in Pune to start within one year after central govt’s approval

PUNE: Work on the ambitious Pune metro rail project may start in a period of one year after it is approved by the central government. The metro route that will be taken up will be between Vanaz and Ramwadi.
The central government recently made a provision of Rs 10.01 crore in the Union budget. When contacted a senior official of the Pune Municipal Corporation said the metro rail project between Vanaz and Ramwadi is yet to be approved by the central government. After its approval, the work will start within one year’s time, he said.
The official pointed out that the proposed metro route between Vanaz and Ramwadi is in fact the second route of the Pune metro project. The first route that has been proposed is between Pimpri and Swargate. The first route however is pending before the Maharashtra government for approval. After the route is approved by the state government, it will be forwarded to the central government for approval, the official said.
Union minister for agriculture Sharad Pawar had recently called a meeting with union urban development minister Kamal Nath to discuss the metro project. The meeting was attended by senior officials and elected office-bearers of both Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Work-on-metro-rail-project-in-Pune-to-start-within-one-year-after-central-govts-approval/articleshow/18780565.cms

Sena finds fault with PCMC’s Bus Rapid Transit System plan

PUNE: The proposed plan for the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on the highway stretch in Pimpri-Chinchwad has come under criticism from the Shiv Sena. Corporator Seema Savale and Sarang Kamthekar, vice president of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, pointed out several flaws in the system which would make it unsafe for people.
Savale and Kamthekar, who made an audio-visual presentation for reporters about the proposed BRTS route on the 12-km Nigdi-Dapodi stretch, have demanded that the municipal corporation carry out a feasibility study before implementing the project. Last week, municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi, who presented the draft budget for the year 2013-14, announced that the BRT route on the highway stretch will be made operational from January next year.
Kamthekar pointed out that the BRT buses run through the middle of the roads on dedicated lanes in Ahmedabad as well as other cities of the world like Jakarta, Bogota, Istanbul and others. But PCMC plans to run the BRT service on dedicated lanes which are sandwiched between the central lanes and the service road.
The civic body has provided many points where vehicles can join the central lanes from the service road, and also exit the central lanes to join the service road. In the process, vehicles will have to cross the dedicated BRT lanes, resulting in accidents, he said.
PCMC has provided many underpasses to connect the service roads on both sides of the highway. “If a vehicle, moving on a service road on one side of the highway has to go to the other side of the highway then it will have to cross the BRT lane. This will again lead to major accidents,” he said.
Kamthekar said that the surveys conducted by the civic body have not considered the number and types of private vehicles that ply on the highway. He demanded that a detailed survey be conducted to ascertain the number and type of private vehicles plying on the service roads and central lanes of the highway. “A safety audit must be conducted from government organizations such as the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) or Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) prior to the implementation of BRTS. A feasibility study must be conducted to ascertain the effectiveness and need of the implementation of BRTS on the highway by any of the above government organizations,” he added.
Shiv Sena corporator Seema Savale said that all precautions must be taken by the municipal body to prevent accidents that may occur after the implementation of BRT bus service on the highway, as pointed through the presentation. If the corporation fails to take any such steps then the Shiv Sena will conduct severe agitations against it. The party will also approach courts to seek justice and prevent loss of lives of commuters.
Spokesperson from the engineering department of PCMC Shirish Poreddy said the civic body will be taking all steps to prevent the perceived accidents that may occur on the highway after the implementation of the BRT bus service.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Sena-finds-fault-with-PCMCs-Bus-Rapid-Transit-System-plan/articleshow/18825023.cms