
Shastrinagar flyover work yet to begin eight months after work order
The construction of the 'Y-shaped' flyover and grade separator at Shastrinagar Chowk has hit delay, with the traffic diversion plan still awaiting final approval. Despite the work order issued over eight months ago, construction is yet to begin. Preliminary work like soil testing and traffic surveys began in August 2024 and the work order was issued in October. (Representative Photo)
Preliminary work like soil testing and traffic surveys began in August 2024 and the work order was issued in October.
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) senior engineer said, 'We are waiting for the final traffic diversion plan. The palkhi procession and traffic pressure made it difficult to begin work now.'
Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Amol Zende said, 'We have not approved the diversion plan or issued the no objection certificate (NoC). This is a critical junction, and due to the monsoon, work cannot begin. We are planning a diversion plan.'
The project, planned four years ago, had to be redesigned due to changes on the ground. Initially, road widening was required because of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) lane. But after the Ahmednagar Road BRT was dismantled, PMC got 7 metres of space, and widening was no longer needed.
'We got the work order in October last year but couldn't start work due to the traffic department's delay in giving the NoC. We plan to begin work by the end of this month,' said Shrikant Gaikwad, executive engineer, PMC.
'To reduce congestion, we will first build the grade separator. Traffic will be diverted from Shastrinagar to Golf Course Road via Karne Road near Don Bosco School. We've also cleared roadside encroachments and widened the road,' he said.
The project also required clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as it is near the historic Aga Khan Palace. PMC gave a presentation to the National Monuments Authority in April 2024. Both central and state archaeology departments later approved the project.
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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Shastrinagar flyover work yet to begin eight months after work order
The construction of the 'Y-shaped' flyover and grade separator at Shastrinagar Chowk has hit delay, with the traffic diversion plan still awaiting final approval. Despite the work order issued over eight months ago, construction is yet to begin. Preliminary work like soil testing and traffic surveys began in August 2024 and the work order was issued in October. (Representative Photo) Preliminary work like soil testing and traffic surveys began in August 2024 and the work order was issued in October. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) senior engineer said, 'We are waiting for the final traffic diversion plan. The palkhi procession and traffic pressure made it difficult to begin work now.' Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Amol Zende said, 'We have not approved the diversion plan or issued the no objection certificate (NoC). This is a critical junction, and due to the monsoon, work cannot begin. We are planning a diversion plan.' The project, planned four years ago, had to be redesigned due to changes on the ground. Initially, road widening was required because of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) lane. But after the Ahmednagar Road BRT was dismantled, PMC got 7 metres of space, and widening was no longer needed. 'We got the work order in October last year but couldn't start work due to the traffic department's delay in giving the NoC. We plan to begin work by the end of this month,' said Shrikant Gaikwad, executive engineer, PMC. 'To reduce congestion, we will first build the grade separator. Traffic will be diverted from Shastrinagar to Golf Course Road via Karne Road near Don Bosco School. We've also cleared roadside encroachments and widened the road,' he said. The project also required clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as it is near the historic Aga Khan Palace. PMC gave a presentation to the National Monuments Authority in April 2024. Both central and state archaeology departments later approved the project.


The Print
13 hours ago
- The Print
In a first, court orders attachment of ASI office for non-payment of adequate land compensation
'According to the court, we have not given proper compensation to the villagers from whom we acquired land for the conservation of the site,' said Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, Joint Director General (monument) and spokesperson of ASI. The matter is related to the land acquisition in Dholavira, a UNESCO heritage site. This Harappan city in Gujarat falls under the Rajkot circle of the ASI. New Delhi: A five-member team of the Principal Senior Civil Judge Court Kutch came to Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) Rajkot circle to attach its office on 11 June. It's the first time in India that a court has ordered the attaching of an ASI office. Sahu said ASI acquired the over 100-acre piece of land in 2004, and then ASI gave compensation. 'But the villagers demanded more and went to the court for it. We have failed to give the amount, so the court ordered the attaching of our circle office,' said Sahu. Dholavira is an important archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District. Its name is from a modern-day village a kilometre south of it. The site was accorded UNESCO World Heritage status in July 2021. The site was discovered in 1968 by the archaeologist Jagatpati Joshi. The ASI had started excavating Dholavira in 1989. The site was excavated extensively between 1990 to 2005 under archaeologist RS Bisht. 'Occupied between ca. 3000-1500 BCE, the archaeological site, one of the best preserved urban settlements from the period in Southeast Asia, comprises a fortified city and a cemetery. A sophisticated water management system demonstrates the ingenuity of the Dholavira people in their struggle to survive and thrive in a harsh environment,' reads the UNESCO website. The acquisition was part of efforts to protect and develop the site, an important Indus Valley civilisation site in India. In 2009, ASI started the acquisition of more than 100 acres of land. Also read: ASI's now calling researchers to crack a 100-year-old mystery—Indus Valley script ASI's request On 11 June this year, after the court's ruling, ASI director general requested the court in a written letter to give some time to the department. 'The ASI has demanded a time of 15 days to pay back the money,' said Sahu. 'Today on 11/06/2025, a team of court officials (5 members) led by DP Pandya, Principal Senior Civil Court, Rajkot appeared at Rajkot Divisional Office for seizure of movable property in compliance with the seizure order number Regular Civil Tamil No. 1/2023 to 9/2023 issued by the Hon'ble Court in the Dholavira land acquisition case. Along with this, the opposition lawyer KS Negi and some landowners of Dholavira village were also present. During this, Court Officer DP Pandya had a telephonic discussion with the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India. In this discussion, on the basis of the assurance of the Director General, an agreement was reached for additional 15 days for payment,' reads the letter, which ThePrint has accessed. ThePrint reached out to the superintending archaeologist of Rajkot circle, AMV Subramanyam, but he refused to comment. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)


Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
HC deadline to acquire land over, BPLR remains tough to traverse
Pune: The civic body has overshot the two-month deadline given by the Bombay high court to acquire land and will likely find it difficult to complete the works on Baner Pashan Link Road (BPLR) in the assigned four months, leaving citizens to continue with their daily dangerous commute. The deadline mandated for land acquisition expired on June 17 and there is no visible progress on ground, said local residents. A two-wheeler rider told TOI, ""I hope they construct the road soon. I travel on the route daily and it's very dangerous in the rain. The stretch is like a short forest trail often littered with garbage. It is very risky to have a pillion rider, who often have to get off and walk till the muddy trail ends." He said he had narrowly avoided an accident while navigating a slippery bend through the trees recently. BPLR was first included in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)'s Development Plan in 1992, but saw partial construction only in 2014. The road remains incomplete even after 33 years, with critical segments awaiting development because land acquisition has run into hurdles. Rajendra Chuttar, president of the BPLR Welfare Trust, emphasised the urgency of the situation, "It is a long-pending issue and people are extremely inconvenienced. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Walking shoes for elderly with poor balance ENJERR Undo We urge PMC to resolve it at the earliest." Trust secretary Ravindra Sinha said he had filed an RTI application on June 17 asking PMC and the district collector for information on the status of land acquisition. "Once they reply, we will decide our future course of action," he said. Residents said monsoon worsens the situation every year. The incomplete stretch is muddy and treacherous, while encroachments and heaps of soil obstruct the rest of the link road. "Even the completed sections are not on a par. The road doesn't align with PMC's own blueprint and footpaths remain incomplete. As a whole, BPLR stays incomplete," a local resident said. Shweta Darunkar, special land acquisition officer in charge of the area, said, "Land acquisition is in process and may take around three months. It is not a stand alone action and we cannot do much till we receive the whole amount. We are waiting for PMC to disburse 30% of the funds to complete the activity. We have got in touch with our legal team to figure out what do now that the deadline is over." Citizens had pinned hopes on the court's order earlier this year, believing it would fasttrack the development. The vital connection between Baner, Pashan, Aundh and Balewadi continues to remain on paper. Aniruddha Pawaskar, chief engineer of PMC's road department, did not comment on the missed deadline and, instead, said, "PMC will deposit Rs15 crore, which is 30% of the whole amount, to the collector's office over the next few days."