Pune: Moshi Residents Homeless After PCMC Enforces Construction Restrictions”
Moshi, 23rd May 2024: The demolition drive undertaken by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in the Borhadewadi area of Moshi, targeting unauthorized constructions in the blue line area of the Indrayani river, has left many families homeless.
Most of the demolished houses belonged to individuals involved in blue-collar jobs. These residents had invested their life savings and taken out loans to build their homes. Many of them were unaware of the construction restrictions on their land, and the civic body’s action came as a shock.
“We were not informed about the restrictions by the builder when we bought the land. Since most of us are uneducated or less educated, we did not conduct thorough inquiries,” said one resident, whose house was demolished on Wednesday.
A construction worker, shared his plight, saying, “I earn around Rs 1,000 to 1,200 per day, and this was my first house. Besides my savings, my wife and I took out loans totaling Rs 19 lakh. We also sold my wife’s gold jewelry to build this house around four months ago.” He explained that his family was asked to vacate by the police on Tuesday, leaving their belongings out in the open. He had spent approximately Rs 40 lakh on purchasing the plot and constructing the house.
Another resident, who runs a small food packing unit, spent around Rs 70 lakh on his house. “Currently, I live in a rented house and we were planning to move to our own home once the work was completed. Sadly, that won’t happen now,” he lamented.
On Wednesday, the municipal corporation demolished 17 illegal structures, including residential and under-construction houses, covering an area of 18,000 square feet in Borhadewadi.
A senior official from the PCMC stated that the demolition drive was conducted following all the norms and that residents were issued prior notices.
