Pune Municipal Corporation Cancels Mundhwa Development Plan
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has rejected the proposed Town Planning (TP) scheme for the Mundhwa area, leaving urban planners and residents puzzled. The decision, made by the City Improvement Committee, has sparked debate regarding the reasons behind the shelving of the proposal and whether it was rooted in policy issues or other underlying factors.
The TP scheme was presented to address the long-standing challenge of unplanned urban development in Mundhwa, which had been included in Pune’s development plan as far back as 2017. Initially, the proposal seemed like a much-needed initiative to bring structured growth to this rapidly expanding area. However, the scheme, covering an area of 7.5 lakh square meters, has now been discarded, with city officials focusing on other priorities.
Under the original plan, several essential developments were outlined, including the creation of roads, industrial zones, and reserved spaces.
The proposed scheme aimed to reduce traffic congestion in Mundhwa, which has worsened due to the area’s expanding population and increased traffic from nearby Hadapsar Railway Station. The station, being developed as a terminus to alleviate pressure on the Pune Railway Station, is expected to draw even more commuters to the area. Thus, the proposed scheme was seen as a step towards accommodating this growth in a more sustainable and planned manner. However, despite the logic behind the proposal, the rejection has left city planners and local experts questioning the rationale behind the decision.
Some argue that delays and resistance from landowners in the area have hindered progress. Others suggest that PMC’s change of heart could be related to internal policy shifts or changing priorities in the city’s urban planning agenda. The abrupt rejection also stands in stark contrast to the views expressed by previous municipal officials, who had advocated for smaller-scale TP schemes across Pune’s extended limits. These officials believed that such schemes could facilitate better governance and administrative efficiency while addressing the needs of the growing urban population.
With the rejection of the Mundhwa TP scheme, the need for a comprehensive urban planning framework in Pune remains pressing. However, unless these issues are resolved and a clear path forward is established, the city’s development may continue to be marred by uncoordinated growth and mounting challenges in traffic, infrastructure, and housing.
