As the land acquisition process for the Maharashtra Road Development
Corporation (MSRDC) ring road continues, another significant development is
taking shape in the form of a second ring road project initiated by the Pune
Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
The notification for this second ring road project has been officially issued by
Sachin Kothekar, Deputy Secretary of the Revenue and Forest Department,
signalling the progression of this ambitious infrastructure endeavour. It is now
evident that Pune district will have two distinct ring roads to bolster its
connectivity and ease traffic congestion.
The PMRDA-led ring road project is slated to traverse through 44 villages across
four talukas, namely Khed, Haveli, Mulshi and Maval. The primary objective
behind the MSRDC’s ring road project is to alleviate traffic congestion in Pune and
Pimpri-Chinchwad cities. The initial phase of this project, focusing on land
acquisition, has already commenced under the purview of the MSRDC.
The PMRDA had previously incorporated the Ring Road into its Regional
Development Plan (RP), with the project’s representation also featured in the
authority’s draft development plan. However, it had largely remained on paper for
several years. The recent government decision to advance this project into active
development has paved the way for two distinct ring roads within Pune district,
with an estimated distance of 15 to 20 km separating them.
Prior to the construction of a ring road project, it is customary to conduct a
comprehensive study and submit a report detailing social impact of the proposed
project. However, the state government has exempted the provisions related to
‘Social Impact Assessment’ for Ring Roads under Section 10C of the PMRDA.