Pune: PIL Filed Against Poor Planning of Ramwadi and Yerwada Metro Stations

Pune, 24th June 2024: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Bombay High Court challenging the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) for negligence and poor planning in the construction of the Ramwadi and Yerwada Metro stations on Nagar Road, Pune.

The PIL, numbered 74 of 2024, was registered on Wednesday, 19th June 2024, and was the first matter on board today, Monday, 24th June 2024.

The petitioners, Qaneez-E-Fatemah Sukhrani, Ashutosh Pravin Mashruwala, and Umesh Sandipan Magar, have highlighted the chaotic and non-holistic construction of Metro stations in Pune City. They have expressed concerns over traffic bottlenecks due to inadequate planning of parking bays and poorly placed entry and exit points at these Metro stations. The petitioners allege that the authorities, particularly the MMRCL, have encroached upon and reduced the navigable carriageway of Nagar Road by approximately 7 meters on both sides, disregarding the Development Plan width of 60 meters.

The petitioners also criticized the dumping of construction debris and garbage during and after the construction phase, which has exacerbated traffic issues. They emphasized the lack of coordination among the respondent authorities, including the MMRCL, Pune Municipal Corporation, and Traffic Police, in planning and maintaining roads around the Metro stations.

Today, the bench of Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court passed an order directing the Pune Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority (PUMTA) Chief, who is also the Divisional Commissioner of Pune, to consider all the representations submitted by the petitioners and implement them to the maximum extent possible. The court mandated that these actions be carried out expeditiously within two months from today.

The petitioners have requested that the respondent authorities convene a meeting with the PUMTA, MMRCL, Pune Municipal Corporation, and the Traffic Police, along with the petitioners, to physically measure the road design elements by a qualified expert and address the issues raised. They seek a resolution to the public grievances and demand reasonable decisions on their representations submitted over the past two years since March 16, 2022.

Respondents in the Petition:
1. Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. through its Chairman Managing Director
2. Pune Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority through its Chairman, who is also Divisional Commissioner
3. Pune Municipal Corporation through its Commissioner
4. Commissionerate of Police through its Commissioner
5. State of Maharashtra through Chief Secretary as head of the Special Committee on Metro, Maharashtra
6. Urban Development Department through its Principal Secretary

The PIL highlights the urgent need for better planning and coordination to alleviate the traffic woes faced by Pune’s citizens due to the Metro construction.