Pune’s Bold Move: PMC Steps Up for Independent Slum Redevelopment Projects

Pune, 1st November 2023: The development of slum rehabilitation projects by private builders under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in Pune has faced delays. In response, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has opted to take the initiative to redevelop slums located on its own land. There are currently 22 municipal plots with existing slum settlements, and the SRA will be implemented in one to two of these locations during the first phase.

Pune, with a total of 486 slums, accommodates 40 per cent of the city’s population. The living conditions in these slums are dire, marked by overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and a lack of proper sanitation facilities. As urbanization continues to grow, there is an urgent need to improve these living conditions and provide the slum residents with rightful and sustainable housing. However, the pace of slum rehabilitation schemes has been slow, with only 67 projects completed in the past two decades in Pune.

Although Pune Municipal Corporation registered as a builder with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority in 2004, it had not taken concrete steps to develop SRA projects on its own land. Recognizing the need for better living conditions, the municipality recently constructed 2,918 houses in Vadgaon, Hadapsar, and Kharadi through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a program initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Building on this experience, the municipal corporation has decided to undertake the slum rehabilitation authority independently.

To facilitate this initiative, a meeting of officials was held with Commissioner Vikram Kumar, and Sudhir Kadam, a retired superintendent engineer from Pune Municipal Corporation, has been appointed as a special officer for the slum redevelopment work. This project will involve close coordination between the construction department, asset management department, and other relevant departments.

In the administration of the SRA, the Assistant Commissioner of the respective zonal office where the slum is situated will serve as the competent officer. They will have the authority to determine the eligibility of residents for housing in this scheme.

Pune Municipal Corporation’s decision to tackle slum redevelopment on its own land is aimed at providing better living conditions and permanent housing for the residents of these slum settlements. Commissioner Vikram Kumar emphasized the municipality’s commitment to improving the lives of slum dwellers in Pune.