Ajit Pawar Orders Urgent Action on Hinjawadi Flooding, Cleanliness and Traffic; Calls for Faster Pune Metro Line 3 Work
Pune, July 13: To boost the Rajiv Gandhi IT Park in Hinjawadi and improve the quality of life for residents, all concerned agencies must urgently coordinate and act on local issues like waterlogging, cleanliness, and traffic congestion, directed Deputy Chief Minister and Pune District Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar. Immediate planning and execution are essential to address these challenges, especially during the monsoon season, he emphasized.
Deputy CM Pawar visited the Hinjawadi IT Park area today to review local issues and inspect progress on Pune Metro Line 3. Following the visit, he chaired a review meeting at the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) office.
The meeting was attended by MLA Shankar Mandekar, Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar, PMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Yogesh Mhase, Additional Commissioner Deepak Singla, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Pune Police Joint Commissioner Ranjankumar Sharma, Pimpri Chinchwad Police Joint Commissioner Shashikant Mahavarkar, Additional Police Commissioners Sarang Awad and Manoj Patil, Zilla Parishad CEO Santosh Patil, PWD Superintendent Engineer Atul Chavan, Chief Engineer Mrs. Rinaz Pathan, MIDC Additional CEO Vijay Rathod, among others.
Highlighting the urgent need to clear garbage piles in the area, Deputy CM Pawar instructed that accumulated waste be removed immediately. He also stressed that encroachments on natural streams and drains, which worsen flooding, must be cleared to restore natural water flow.
Given rising traffic congestion, he directed PMRDA to prepare plans for a new six-lane road. Revenue, MIDC, Zilla Parishad, and local stakeholders were asked to cooperate fully to expedite these works.
Deputy CM Pawar also ordered the immediate removal of encroachment on a stream next to the Man Devi Temple in Man Gram Panchayat area. He instructed authorities to quickly address traffic issues near Laxmi Chowk, and to consider developing the area similarly to Bhakti Shakti in Pimpri. He emphasized giving the highest priority to land acquisition for the ring road project and suggested building an alternative road near Capgemini.
The Deputy CM noted that encroachments and blockages around natural streams and drains are causing rainwater to accumulate in Hinjawadi IT Park and surrounding areas, creating problems for motorists and residents alike. He directed strict action against such encroachments. The urban consultancy firm appointed to study flooding issues must submit a detailed report within a month, while the irrigation department should also provide its report urgently, he added.
“Our goal should be to ensure that even during heavy rain, water does not stagnate in the Hinjawadi area,” Pawar emphasized.
Speed Up Pune Metro Line 3
Before the meeting, Deputy CM Pawar inspected several Pune Metro Line 3 stations in the Hinjawadi IT Park area, including Padmabhushan Chowk, Croma, Dollar Company, Kohinoor MotherSon, among others. He instructed Metro and Tata company officials to complete pending works swiftly while maintaining quality standards.
Citizen Interventions and New Proposals
During the visit, Pradip Awati, Founder of the Hinjewadi Employee Welfare Association, raised concerns with Ajit Dada about the stairs at the Croma Metro Station, highlighting the future problems they could cause. Acting promptly, Ajit Dada directed PMRDA and Tata Metro to remove the stairs and open the entire road within seven days.
Additionally, a proposal has been put forward to build a six-lane road from Maan to Hinjawadi Phase 3. Awati also proposed creating a road connecting Marunji to Hinjawadi Phase 3, which would significantly reduce traffic congestion and ease the daily commute for nearly 80,000 IT employees.
At the end of the meeting, PMRDA Commissioner Yogesh Mhase gave a presentation on the ring road project. Officials and staff from revenue, public works, pollution control, MIDC, police, PMRDA and other departments were present.
As part of the #UnclogHinjawadi IT Park campaign, we submitted a detailed 57-page plan to the Hon’ble Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister on 10th July. This document not only highlighted critical infrastructure challenges but also included practical solutions and actionable recommendations.
In a strong display of responsiveness, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar personally visited Hinjawadi at 6 AM on 13th July to inspect the key problem areas we had raised. He has issued strict directions to all concerned authorities to take immediate and time-bound action. We deeply appreciate this proactive approach and remain committed to working collaboratively for sustainable improvements in the Hinjawadi IT Park region. By Ankit Kothari, Member – #UnclogHinjawadi IT Park Campaign
