Pune: Uncertainty Over Red Zone Boundaries Continues in Pimpri-Chinchwad

Pimpri, 25th March 2025: A year after the Maharashtra Land Records Department conducted satellite-based measurements of the protected red zone in Dehu Road and Dighi, the final map is yet to be released. This delay has left citizens in limbo, with many still uncertain about the exact boundaries of the restricted zone.

The red zone covers several areas, including Talwade, Nigdi, Triveni Nagar, Rupi Nagar, Yamuna Nagar, Ravet, Kivale, Chikhali, Dighi, Bhosari, Vadmukhwadi, Charholi, Dudulgaon, and Bopkhel. Additionally, military establishments near Sangvi, Pimple Gurav, Pimple Nilakh, Pimprigaon, Pimple Saudagar, Kasarwadi, Dapodi, and Phugewadi are also impacted.

The Dehu Road Ammunition Factory and Dighi Magazine Depot have affected thousands of residents, as the red zone extends 2,000 meters from the Dehu Road facility and 1,145 meters from the Dighi depot. However, due to unclear demarcations, there have been multiple disputes over land use and ownership.

Residents have repeatedly urged authorities to redraw the red zone boundaries and even suggested relocating defence depots to ease restrictions on affected areas. To address these concerns, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) allocated funds to the Land Records Department for boundary measurement. In January 2024, the department conducted satellite-based mapping, but the final version of the map remains unavailable.

Officials from PCMC, the Land Records Department, the District Collector’s Office, and the Defence Department are expected to hold a joint meeting once the revised map is ready. The new map will provide clarity on the exact number of structures and properties within the red zone. However, discrepancies in initial satellite-based measurements have led PCMC to instruct the Land Records Department to reassess and correct the boundaries.

Despite PCMC paying ₹1.13 crore to the Land Records Department in December 2023, the process remains incomplete. The Deputy Director of the Urban Planning Department, Prasad Gaikwad, acknowledged the delay, stating, “The department has prepared a rough map, but some boundaries need correction. Once we receive the revised map, a meeting will be held with Defence Department officials, after which it will be published.”

The prolonged uncertainty has left thousands of families in legal and financial distress, as property transactions and developments remain stalled. Citizens continue to demand a swift resolution to the issue, hoping for clear and accurate red zone boundaries soon.