Pune: PMC Body Begins Compulsory Land Acquisition for Road Projects to Ease Traffic Congestion
Pune, 23rd July 2025: In a move aimed at reducing the city’s chronic traffic woes, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated compulsory land acquisition for key road development projects. The civic administration began implementing the process last week, targeting 20 critical road stretches across Pune.
According to PMC officials, the compulsory acquisition is being carried out under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. This legal mechanism empowers the government to acquire private land for public infrastructure, even in cases where landowners may not provide consent.
“A majority of disputes revolve around compensation issues. In such cases, the awarded amount will be deposited in court and disbursed as per the final legal decision,” explained a senior PMC official, clarifying that ongoing litigation will not delay land possession.
The civic body aims to decongest nearly 60 kilometers of road network through this initiative. These stretches, which include major arterial roads, reportedly handle about 70% of Pune’s daily traffic. Once the roadworks are completed, significant relief is expected for commuters facing daily bottlenecks.
Aniruddha Pawaskar, Chief of PMC’s Road Department, said, “We are acquiring land to complete the missing road links. These connections will help divert traffic from overloaded main roads, improving overall flow across the city.”
Currently, 42 proposals related to compulsory land acquisition are under discussion. Of these, 34 pertain to the road department, while the remaining proposals are linked to other agencies like PMPML and state transport services.
Among the top priorities are long-delayed stretches such as Katraj-Kondhwa Road, Satara-Mumbai Road, and Pune-Hadapsar-Solapur Road. PMC has also listed the approach road for the proposed Sun City–Karvenagar bridge, along with projects near Mahatma Phule Wada and the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Memorial, for expedited action.
As part of its development plan, the municipal corporation had already reserved land for road expansion. The current acquisition drive signals a firm intent to push ahead, despite legal or procedural hurdles.
