Pune: Even After 18 Years, PMC Acquired Very Little Bio-diversity Plan Land
Pune, September 17, 2020: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has acquired very little Bio-diversity Plan (BDP) reserved land. PMC reserved 979 hectares of land 18 years ago under the BDP reservation in Pune city Development plan (DP) of 23 merged villages.
The purpose of reservation is to save hill slop and hilltop and maintain greenery in the city. State government merged 23 new villages in 1997 in the old Pune city limit. After that, the corporation made a development plan of 23 merged villages in 2005. The state government gave approval to 23 merged villages DP in parts.
Owner want cash compensation
In 2015, the State government took the decision to give eight percent green Transfer Development Rights (TDR) to the landowner as compensation and acquire BDP land. However, owners are not happy with compensation and they want cash compensation instead of TDR as rates of TDR rates are very low. At present, most of the BDP land has been encroached. Some of the landowners are selling land in small pieces.
PMC says lack of funds to acquire BDP land
The civic body has been able to acquire around five hectare BDP land in Bavdhan area out of nine hectare which was required for National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for multi-layer Chandani chowk flyover project. PMC doesn’t have funds to acquire BDP land against cash compensation.
Most BDP land belongs to private owners
In 23 merged villages development plan (DP), the corporation had proposed and reserved total of 978 hectare. It is spread over seven hills in the 12 villages. It includes 124.45 hectare of government land and 853.09 hectare of privately owned land.
BDP areas include – Baner-Balewadi (89.07 hectare), Bavdhan-Kothrud (279.82), Warje-Shivane (166.18), Hingane-Wadgaon-Dhayari (118.42), Dhankwadi-Ambegaon (20.05), Katraj (216.30), Kondwa-Undri (45.73), Mohamadwadi-Hadapsar (42.94).
