Pune: Bombay High Court Clears Path for Balewadi-Wakad Bridge; Orders Immediate Land Acquisition
Pune, 26th February 2026: In a major relief for thousands of daily commuters in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the Bombay High Court has officially removed the stay on land acquisition required to construct the approach road for the much-awaited Balewadi-Wakad bridge over the Mula River.
The High Court has directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the State Government, through the Collector and concerned Land Acquisition Officer, to take immediate steps to acquire the subject land. The acquisition is to be carried out under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and must be completed within a period of one year from today.
The Legal Battle and Intervention
The legal hurdle stemmed from a writ petition filed by landowner Ankush Balwadkar, who sought compensation and a stay on the acquisition of his land—the very land required for the approach road connecting Balewadi to Kaspate Wasti. The High Court had previously granted a stay on this acquisition on December 8, 2025.
However, the case took a decisive turn following an intervention by Advocate Satya Muley. Representing Mr. Abhijeet Garad and Sandeep Mandloi—the original petitioners in Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 106 of 2024—Adv. Muley brought an earlier court order to light. He reminded the Court that in an order dated April 9, 2025, the Bombay High Court had already acknowledged the plight of the public and directed the authorities to urgently acquire the land and complete the bridge project.
Public Hardship and PMC’s Stance
For the past two decades, neighborhoods like Baner and Balewadi (under PMC) and Wakad and Kaspate Vasti (under PCMC) have seen exponential growth. Despite the bridge already being constructed, the public has been unable to use it due to the missing approach road.
Adv. Muley highlighted the severe daily hardships faced by residents. Currently, commuters are forced to rely on two unviable alternatives, primarily the heavily congested Mumbai-Bangalore Highway via Radha Chowk. This bottleneck forces people to travel an excess distance of 5 to 6 kilometers, extending travel times by 40 to 60 minutes and leading to a massive waste of fuel.
Noting the urgent public need, the High Court stated, “The urgency in the matter for construction of an approach road to the bridge over the Mula-Mutha river in Pune cannot be denied.”
To expedite the process, the PMC submitted to the Court that it is ready to deposit the required percentage of compensation with the land acquisition officer at the earliest.
A “Curious Case”
Speaking on the development, Advocate Satya Muley called the situation a “curious case.”
“The PIL fight regarding the said bridge was reported widely in the media, but at that time the landowner did not come forward. Nor did the PMC state any difficulties at that time,” Adv. Muley stated. “When the landowner filed the present Writ Petition and sought a stay on land acquisition, it was the duty of the PMC to inform the court about the final outcome in PIL 106 of 2024 in which the High Court had already directed land acquisition under the urgency clause.”
Adv. Muley added that the petitioners will continue to monitor the situation to ensure there are no further hurdles and that the bridge is opened to the public as soon as possible.
