The Maharashtra government has given in-principle approval to a Rs 1,826 crore Chakan-Hinjawadi infrastructure plan aimed at tackling traffic congestion, monsoon flooding, road deficiencies, power supply problems and weak civic services across Pune’s major industrial and technology corridors.
The approval covers a Rs 1,400 crore plan for Chakan and a separate Rs 426 crore plan for Hinjawadi. The proposals were presented at a meeting at Sahyadri Guest House attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and senior officials from several departments. Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi presented the plans.
According to the details presented at the meeting, work in Chakan and Hinjawadi is planned to begin from December. The administration has said it intends to deliver visible improvements in Chakan’s traffic movement and stormwater drainage before the next monsoon. The plan brings together the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Public Works Department, Zilla Parishad and other agencies for coordinated implementation.
Chakan’s industrial area faces serious waterlogging during the monsoon. Officials found that encroachments along around 78 kilometres of natural drainage channels have obstructed water flow. The resulting flooding has affected industrial companies, disrupted traffic and, in some cases, forced businesses to suspend operations.
The approved works include clearing natural drains, building roadside stormwater systems, increasing the capacity of culverts and bridges, and creating water-storage facilities at locations where they are required. The irrigation department has surveyed the drainage network and identified the routes of the natural channels. Around 70 to 80 per cent of the action to remove encroachments has been completed, while the remaining obstructions are to be cleared in phases.
Some locations will require the removal of structures, while others will need land to be made available for natural drains. The administration has set June 2027 as the target for opening the natural drains and completing the drainage arrangements. The plan also includes approximately 38 kilometres of roadside stormwater drains.
Authorities have studied Chakan’s 498-kilometre road network using criteria including traffic density, industrial importance, freight movement, road condition, waterlogging, safety and connectivity. In the first phase, around 75 kilometres of roads are expected to be improved.
The road works are also intended to address the safety of workers who travel through the industrial area in large numbers. Proposed measures include footpaths, safer pedestrian crossings and traffic-control arrangements. Facilities for pedestrians are also proposed as part of the work on a flyover on the national highway.
Traffic management across Chakan, Talegaon and Hinjawadi is expected to use artificial-intelligence-based enforcement and monitoring systems. A command and control centre, coordinated with the traffic police, will be used to regulate traffic and act against violations. Officials also said that approval had been given for a project involving closed-circuit cameras and an Intelligent Traffic Management System.
The government plans to make 100 Maharashtra Security Force personnel available for traffic management from October 1. A similar process is under way for Hinjawadi, where 100 personnel are expected to support traffic and related management requirements.
The separate Rs 426 crore Hinjawadi plan focuses on reducing congestion in the technology hub. Six acres of land has been made available to address electricity-supply difficulties in the area. Waste collection in Hinjawadi is also expected to begin through the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation or the Pune Municipal Corporation.
The plans follow warnings from industries about the possibility of shifting operations if congestion and infrastructure problems continue. Their implementation will depend on coordination between multiple agencies, the removal of remaining drainage obstructions, land availability and the administration’s proposed December start. The stated milestones are June 2027 for completing Chakan’s natural-drain and stormwater works and the planned deployment of traffic personnel from October 1.
