The Hindu Business Line : Rs 1,000-cr master plan to give Pune a facelift

WITH a migrant population in the city that is thrice the normal range, vehicular population touching 13.54 lakh units in 2003, a pathetic network of roads and public transport system, pollution levels that now give it the ugly tag of the fifth most polluted city in Asia, Pune is groaning under the weight of a combination of woes.Not for long though, if a Rs1,000-crore master plan for the transformation of the city, prepared by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is given the green signal by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Over the next three years, Mr A.K. Lakhina, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the MSRDC, which executed the Rs 2,000-crore Mumbai-Pune Expressway and completely transformed Mumbai's road infrastructure plans to do a repeat act in Pune.

Mr Lakhina says that while his master plan has the in-principle approval of the Municipal Commissioner and the City Mayor, he is awaiting the municipal corporation to commit the funds. "Rs 1,000 crore is not a lot of money if you convert it in terms of how much progress the city can make with a brand new road system. The project can go ahead with the municipal corporation securitising it against future income,'' says Mr Lakhina. A part of the Rs 1,000-crore plan is already under implementation with the MSRDC building 15 fly-overs, two new bridges over the city's rivers and six railway over bridges (totalling Rs 250 crore) to ease commuting woes.

Vehicles entering the city from its 14 entry points will pay toll ranging between Rs 15 to Rs 35 beginning two months from now. The Rs 250-crore project also includes part of a massive ring road project around the city.

The second part of the mega Pune city master plan involves a proposal to almost completely overhaul the city's ancient and completely inadequate roads and provisioning for pedestrian pathways, cycle bridges, traffic synchronisation, building of subways, truck terminals, bus depots and parking areas.

Also part of the project is completely overhauling and strengthening the existing Pune Municipal Transport fleet through privatising service, if necessary.

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