Stalemate Over Pune Metro Stations: PMC and PMRDA Clash on Entrance and Exit Stairs

Pune, 30th November 2023: A dispute has emerged between Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) regarding the entrance and exit stairs of two Pune Metro stations on Ganeshkhind Road—Shivajinagar opposite the IMD and Reserve Bank office.

The ongoing work on the Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar route has led to a crack in the construction of these stations. The width of Ganeshkhind Road was initially planned to be 36 meters, but it was later increased to 45 meters due to the proposed double-decker flyover. PMC has requested PMRDA to keep the 45-meter road clear for the metro stations’ entrance and exit stairs. However, this would require additional land acquisition and potentially delay the project by one to one and a half years.

PMC argues that if the stairs are taken 45 meters outside the road, it will encroach upon the space of institutions such as the Reserve Bank, Akashvani, and the observatory. This could also compromise the fire safety of these institutions’ main buildings. A meeting between PMRDA Commissioner Rahul Mahiwal and PMC Commissioner Vikram Kumar is anticipated to resolve the issue.

Chief Engineer of PMRDA, Rinaj Pathan, expressed the situation, stating, “According to the Pune Municipal Corporation, the stairs of the Shivajinagar metro stations in front of the Reserve Bank and the observatory should be 45 meters outside the road. Additional land acquisition has to be done for this. A meeting will be held soon between the PMRDA Commissioner and Municipal Commissioner, and a decision will be taken.”

Additional Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation, Vikas Dhakne, emphasized the importance of traffic planning for Ganesh Khind road for the next 50 years. He stated, “If the stairways of metro stations come inside the 45-meter wide road, it will become narrow. So these stairs can be taken outside even after further land acquisition.”