Pune Ring Road Project Faces Opposition As Five Villages In Bhor Taluka Exclude Lands
Bhor, 5th December 2023: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is progressing with the land acquisition for the ambitious 172 km long and 110 meters wide ring road project aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad cities. The project, executed in two parts – East and West, has seen the acquisition of over 205 hectares of land, with a compensation allocation exceeding Rs 1021 crore.
However, a significant development has surfaced as the Pune District administration faces a strong backlash in its land acquisition efforts. In response to vehement opposition, five villages in Bhor taluka, namely Khopi, Kelawade, Kanjale, Kambare, and Naigaon, have successfully excluded themselves from the project.
The ring road project impacts several villages in Bhor taluka, including Ranje, Kusgaon, Khopi, Kanjale, Kelawade, Kambare, and Naigaon. A notice to cancel the ‘Reserved for Ring Road’ entry on the respective farmers’ lands in these villages has been issued. Local farmers have expressed their dissent, particularly against the construction of a ring road that would pass through the horticultural lands of Shivare village.
Furthermore, 22 villages from Khopi to Pande in Bhor taluka are facing the prospect of tunnelling, prompting a demand for the exclusion of these villages from the new plan of the Pune-Bengaluru highway to mitigate the impact.
In response to the opposition, authorities have decided to exclude the areas of Khopi, Kelawde, Kanjale, Kambare, and Naigaon from the western part of the circular road in Bhor taluka. Orders have been issued to Talathi and Mandal officers to cancel the records of other rights of the ring road on the Satbara extracts of these five villages, as confirmed by Rajendra Kachare, Bhor sub-divisional officer (SDO).
The exclusion of these villages adds a new dimension to the challenges faced by the Pune Ring Road project, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of local concerns in large-scale infrastructure development.
