Pune: Wakad Housing Society Residents Protest PCMC’s Proposed DP Road Through Society Premises
Reported by Varad Bhatkhande
Tathawade, 30th June 2025: Imagine buying a home in a developing city like Pimpri Chinchwad, in an upscale, well-planned society, and living there peacefully for over a decade. Then, suddenly, the local civic body announces that a road will pass through your society, cutting through its internal roads, amenity spaces, and parking areas.
This is the reality for thousands of residents of the Akshar Elementa housing society in Tathawade near Wakad. On Sunday, they held a protest against the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) revised development plan (DP), which proposes an 18-meter-wide road through their society’s existing internal road.
Residents strongly oppose this move, citing serious safety, security, and environmental concerns. The society, established in 2016, consists of over 900 flats and houses nearly 5,000 people.
“We Are Being Targeted for Someone’s Gain”
Praveen Farad, chairman of the Elementa society, said, “The internal road within our society is now being marked in the DP plan as a public road. This is a major security risk. There’s also a temple here, and several amenities like parks will be affected. Another parallel road already exists. We believe this decision is being taken to benefit an influential builder seeking Transfer of Development Rights (TDR). It feels like PCMC is deliberately creating problems for us.”
He added that while residents haven’t had a direct conversation with PCMC officials yet, the society has sent communications through legal channels and is hopeful for a positive resolution.
Senior Citizens and Families at Risk
Devendra Lambole, a senior citizen and long-time resident of the society, said, “We all use this road internally for safe movement. If it becomes a public DP road, it will be a major issue, especially for us senior citizens. The temple and trees we planted around it will be lost. If an alternative route is available, why pass the road through our society?”
A Community Built with Lifetime Plans in Mind
Pallavi Bhavsar, another resident, said, “When we booked our home in 2013, there was no plan for such a road. We chose this place to spend our lives here with our families. Around the internal road are several amenities, including a park and a temple. The new road raises serious security concerns. There’s already traffic due to a nearby school. A public road inside the society will only worsen the situation. We request PCMC to let us live peacefully.”
Citywide Concerns Over DP Roads
The draft revised DP, published by the civic body last month, has received backlash from several parts of the city. Residents from Rahatani, Walhekarwadi, Chinchwade Nagar, Bijli Nagar, and Thergaon have also held protests over similar issues, where proposed roads would cut through residential structures.
A senior PCMC official said that citizens can file objections with the town planning department within 60 days of the draft’s publication. The final draft will be submitted to the state government only after a designated committee hears all objections.
Attempts were made to contact Deputy Director of PCMC’s Town Planning Department, Prasad Gaikwad, for comment, but he was unavailable.
