State clears land acquisition, paving the way for long-delayed project to finally move ahead in Pune
In a major boost to Pune's traffic infrastructure, the long-pending Katraj-Kondhwa road widening project has received a crucial push after the state government approved the land acquisition required for the project.
The development is expected to bring a notable relief to lakhs of commuters who daily uses one of the city's busiest corridors.
The project requires acquisition of nearly 41,517 square metres of land to expand the stretch to a width of 50 metres. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has already deposited ₹276 crore with the district administration for this purpose.
With the state government granting approvals, the officials expect the land to be handed over to the civic body in the next month. Authorities said the final award for compensation is likely to be announced within 15 days, following which distribution to affected landowners will begin.
This part of the road-from Rajas Society Chowk to Kanha Hotel Chowk-is very crowded and difficult to work on, mainly because many people live there and land was not available earlier. That's why it stayed a traffic bottleneck for years.
Once the road is widened, traffic will move much more smoothly. It will also help complete a flyover planned by NHAI.
The project started in 2017 but got delayed because landowners wanted cash instead of TDR or FSI, which led to long disputes and stalled the work.
Looking at the efforts made by civic officials and local representatives, the revenue department has now approved the cash compensation model, unlocking the project's progress.
City officials and local leaders have welcomed the move and mentioned that it will reduce congestion and significantly improve connectivity in the southern parts of Pune.