тАШDonтАЩt need roads, need Vetal TekdiтАЩ: Hundreds of Puneites turn up to protest road link project
In spite of persistent showers, the rally to protest against construction on Vetal Tekdi hillock in Pune Saturday saw massive support. The rally started around 5 pm at Vetal Baba Chowk on Senapati Bapat Road and concluded at German Bakery Wunderbar Cafe on Law College Road at around 6:30 pm.
The main organisation behind the rally was Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti тАУ an apolitical umbrella organisation of multiple citizen groups and initiatives.
тАЬWe are not a registered organisation and not affiliated with any political organisation. Regional representatives and leaders of different parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, Congress, AAP, MNS, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi have shown their support for our movement. BJPтАЩs Medha Kulkarni, Jayant Bhave, and some other local leaders are also participating in the rally to display their support as citizens of Pune, without political banners and fanfare,тАЭ said Prajakta Divekar from the Samiti.
тАЬThe rally today (Saturday) is against three projects that the Pune Municipal Corporation has undertaken тАУ Balbharti Paud Phata Road, two tunnels (Sutardhara, Gokhale Nagar and Panchavati exits), and the High Capacity Mass Transit Route Project (HCMTRP). Our demand is to declare the tekdi as a no-construction zone and a no-development zone,тАЭ added Divekar.
тАЬThe PMC wishes to cut 1,500 trees for a 2 km of the Balbharti-Paud Road stretch. Not only that, PMCтАЩs environmental assessment record shows that this will contaminate the groundwater as there are shallow aquifers under the proposed road. They want to level 50m of the hillock slope which will leave a massive environmental impact,тАЭ Divekar further said.
тАЬI hope the massive support this rally has received opens the PMC administrationтАЩs eyes. Different traffic reports show that only 10-12 per cent of traffic congestion shall be reduced after the Balbharti-Paud Road is built. The administration should announce why the initial alignment was changed and make the revised alignment public on the website. This road, which is costing around Rs 300 crore for a 2km stretch and harming the environment, should immediately be stoppedтАжтАЭ Medha Kulkarni said.
тАЬThis point should be included in the election manifestos in the forthcoming polls,тАЭ Divekar said, even as тАЬTekdi vachava, khurchi vachava (Save the Vetal hillock, save your political seat),тАЭ was chanted by the protesters.
