Union Budget Allocates Massive Funds for Pune Metro and Mula-Mutha River Cleanup
Pune, 1st February 2024: In a significant boost to Pune’s infrastructure development, the Union budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 has earmarked a substantial expenditure of Rs 814.49 crore for the Pune Metro and Rs 689.59 crore for the Mula-Mutha river pollution abatement project.
The much-anticipated Phase 1 of the Pune Metro is on the verge of completion, with the potential launch of services from Shivajinagar to Swargate expected by the end of this financial year. Hemant Sonawane, Executive Director of Pune Metro rail, noted, “The Union government has allocated funds, considering the progress of Phase 1 construction and has earmarked Rs 814.49 crore for Pune Metro from the European Investment Bank (EIB) loan.” The EIB has committed to investing EUR 600 million for constructing two lines of Phase 1 and acquiring 102 modern Metro cars, with EUR 350 million already signed.
The Pune Metro system, encompassing 33.2 km of tracks both above and below ground, featuring 30 stations, is poised to significantly enhance the city’s public transportation network.
Simultaneously, the Union government has acknowledged the swift progress in the pollution abatement project for the Mula-Mutha river. Allocating Rs 689.59 crore for the upcoming financial year, the government aims to propel the ongoing initiative to combat river pollution. Jagdish Khanore, Executive Engineer of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), stated, “The civic body has completed 40% of the project, which includes the construction of 11 Sewage Treatment Plants and laying sewage lines to prevent untreated sewage water release into the river.”
Despite initial delays, the Rs 990-crore pollution abatement project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is making significant headway. Khanore highlighted, “The commitment is to complete the project by the end of the next financial year in March 2025. The PMC has already received Rs 300 crore, and the Union government has allocated the remaining amount for the next financial year.” Additionally, PMC has requested funding to cover the escalated project cost, ensuring there are ample resources to meet the completion deadline.
