Pune: Bombay High Court Orders PMC to Respond on Wakad-Balewadi Bridge Closure After PIL

Pune, 30th August 2024: The Wakad Balewadi Bridge, built over the Mula River, has been closed to the public for many years. This bridge, which has the potential to reduce travel time between the cities, is causing significant inconvenience due to its closure. In response, residents have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court. On 28th August, the matter was heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Amit Borkar. The High Court acknowledged the grievances raised in the PIL and has asked the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and other respondents to file an affidavit by September 30, 2024.

For the past decade, areas such as Vishal Nagar, Kaspate Wasti, Pimple Nilakh, Wakad, Baner, and Balewadi have experienced significant growth in population. People travel daily from Wakad and nearby areas for various reasons, and vice versa. They have two options: either travel via Aundh or take the Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass, both of which are long and congested. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) jointly sanctioned the bridge in 2013.

The bridge, constructed with an estimated expenditure of over ₹31 crores, was completed in 2018-19 but remains unused. The Balewadi side lacks connectivity to existing roads, impacting over 250,000 residents and causing unnecessary congestion on the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway. This situation risks travellers’ safety and results in significant time and fuel wastage. The petitioners are challenging the PMC and other respondents for their inaction.

The PMC has neglected its duty to open the completed bridge for public use, resulting in wasted public funds, time, and fuel. While connectivity from the PCMC side is complete, the PMC has cited difficulty acquiring land for the connecting road. However, the PMC has the authority to forcibly acquire land for public purposes under various laws.

Abhijit Garad from Wakad and Sandeep Mandloi from Balewadi have long sought action from authorities without receiving a concrete response. As a result, they have filed a PIL at the Bombay High Court through Adv. Satya Muley, against PMC, PCMC, Pune District Collector, Town Planning Authority, Urban Development Department. The PIL requests the High Court to direct these bodies to take all necessary steps to open the Wakad-Balewadi Bridge for public use.

Due to the bridge’s inaccessibility, the space around it is being misused for illegal activities, garbage dumping, and unauthorized truck parking. The funds spent on its construction are being wasted. Funded equally by PMC and PCMC, the bridge, with a budget of over ₹31 crores, was built in 2013 and completed in 2018-19. Despite this expenditure, the bridge remains unused, with residents receiving only false assurances about connecting road development for the past 6-8 years.

On behalf of the petitioners, Advocate Satya Muley argued, “The technical committee’s resolution was passed in 2013. Despite a slow pace and significant delays, the bridge was finally completed by 2018-19. If there is an issue with acquiring land from the Balewadi side for connectivity, it highlights flaws in the PMC’s planning and administration. Astonishingly, both corporations built the bridge without securing the necessary land for its connectivity.”

Adv Muley also said, “For the past 6-8 years, authorities and politicians have claimed that the land acquisition problem was resolved and that a connecting road from Balewadi would soon make the bridge operational. However, there has been no real progress. If the problem is indeed resolved, the authorities should demonstrate development within the next 2-3 months and file an affidavit in the Bombay High Court to support their claims. It is time for the authorities and politicians to deliver on their promises.”