Pune : Road widening work & encroachment removal begins in Keshavnagar 

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun the work of road widening of Mundhwa-Manjari road & small encroachments have been removed. The PMC is planning to make the road 18m wide from Keshavnagar Chowk to Z Corner.

Speaking to Pune Pulse, Ranjeet Lonkar, President, Keshavnagar Welfare Association, said “The PMC is going to construct an 18m road here. However, the PMC always does any kind of work only at Z corner, the road which goes further to Manjari. The locals have their lands over there. The PMC doesn’t do any kind of work or take any action in the area towards Keshavnagar side where unauthorized constructions & plotting are there. Also, even if the road is widened, the bottlenecks at Keshavnagar Y junction will remain the same. Then what’s the use of widening the road?

So, we intervened & stopped the PMC’s work. We are not opposing the road widening. We completely support it. We are just saying that the PMC should firstly look at the Keshavnagar Chowk & take relevant action there.”

Ranjeet Lonkar further said “The road at Keshavnagar Chowk is very short. This road issue is pending over here for 20 years. We are saying that the road widening should be all-inclusive i.e. right from Keshavnagar Chowk to Z Corner. Only taking action or doing work at Z Corner where there are empty lands, & not taking action at other areas where unauthorized constructions are there, is not acceptable at all.”

Sahebrao Dandage, Superintendent Engineer, PMC Road Department, said “The road work has been started. The current road is 7 to 8 m wide. After widening work, it is going to be 18 m wide. We have started the work which has been going on since yesterday & is going on today as well.

As per the current plan, the road from Keshavnagar Chowk i.e. Y junction all the way to Z Corner will be widened. The plan is also of widening the road by 36 m, however, as per the current amount of lands, which have been acquired, the road can be of 18 m width. However, it is further planned to be made 36 m wide. Also, it will resolve the ongoing traffic issues in the area.”

Shreyas Vange