by Mr. Anil Pharande,
Vice President – CREDAI (Pune Metro)
The Pimpri Chinchwad
Municipal Corporation was honoured by by presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister
Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar and NCP President
Shri Sharad Pawar. T
hese distinguished
dignitaries had very generously agreed to inaugurate several key infrastructure
projects at PCMC:
The new PCNTDA
building near Akurdi Railway station
The Traffic Park at
Bhosari
The flyover near
Spine Road
PCMC's very own Nala
Park
The Science Park at
Auto Cluster
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| Anil Pharande, Vice President – CREDAI (Pune Metro) |
We, the architects of
India's most progressive planned city, were truly inspired by the kind words of
praise, encouragement and hope that these honoured guests offered at the
inauguration ceremonies. It is clear that the Government has recognized
Pimpri-Chinchwad as the City of the Future, and that the city can depend on the
fullest support as it continues to progress.
Nevertheless, there
are reasons to be cautious in all this optimism. It is true that the careful
and futuristic engineering of development at PCMC by the PCNTDA has become a
national and even international benchmark for town planning.
City of
the future...!
However, there have
been various challenges along this road to progress. We need to take these
hurdles into consideration if the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation is to
fulfill its maximum potential as the City of the future.
Considering the pace
at which real estate development has been taking place, certain lacunae in
adhering to the PCNTDA's master plan were unavoidable. One of the most glaring
examples of this was the emergence of unauthorized structures in various
pockets of the PCMC.
Thankfully, this
issue is being dealt with firmly. The authorities have embarked on a massive
drive to deal with such structures, and we are confident that all illegal
constructions will be erased from the landscape by the end of 2013. However, we
can not deny that these are damage control measures which would not have been
necessary if the damage had never been allowed to occur in the first place.
Another area of
concern is lack of adequate road connectivity between certain key areas of the
PCMC and areas such as Talegaon. Because of the massive potential for
industrial and residential development in and around these areas, they have
seen most of the road construction initiatives. In the process, road
connectivity from these locations to some of the most important growth areas of
PCMC has been largely ignored.
Paradoxically, the
areas referred to as Phase 2 in the PCMC development plan hold the highest
potential for real estate growth. Thanks to the availability of large land
parcels at relatively lower prices, residential and commercial realty
development has picking up rapidly in areas such as Moshi. In the meantime,
Moshi has become a hotbed for property investments because of the International
Convention Centre being jointly developed by the Maratha Chamber of Commerce
and the PCMC.
Despite this, there
is still no sufficient road connectivity between Phase 2 and the larger
industrial hubs. This is going to prove to be a huge stumbling-block for the
overall growth of the region. The lack of a suitable road network means that
people living in areas like Moshi face difficulties in reaching their
workplaces in these employment clusters. This issue must be addressed on a
priority basis. A city like PCMC must do everything in its power to ensure that
its growth pockets are not isolated from each other.
Yet another issue is
that the population within the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation is
growing at an annual rate of 73 per cent. Such a rate of growth makes it
necessary to provide more spaces for development.
Unfortunately, there
have been limitations put on the city's potential for geographic expansion by
Red Zones (non-development areas).
It is imperative that
more of the region's outlying villages be included in the urbanization plan.
There are enough examples in India of what happens when a city does not expand
geographically in tandem with its population growth. Such a situation must not
be allowed to develop in the PCMC.
Also, PCMC needs to
be able to accommodate the rapid growth in population in terms of providing
more educational institutions, shopping complexes, healthcare establishments
and entertainment zones.
Green
development mantra..!
Finally, I would like
to touch on PCMC's major thrust towards sustainable real estate development. It
is no secret that green development is the future of real estate all over the
world. In fact, many of the bigger residential townships and commercial
complexes in the PCMC have already adopted the 'green development' mantra. The
new PCNTDA building itself is a resounding statement to how important
sustainable development has become to the city.
Nevertheless, there
is still a noticeable lack of enthusiasm within the region about the benefits
of green homes and workplaces. One of the reasons for this is lack of
awareness. Many of the region’s residential property developers and buyers have not been attuned
to the advantages of environmentally sustainable properties. I urge the State
Government to join hands with the PCMC to bring about greater awareness and
eventual adoption of this vitally important principle.
I also strongly
advocate better incentives for developers and buyers of green homes in the
PCMC. The use of non-conventional energy sources and sustainable waste water
management does not only have a positive impact on the environment and on the
overall quality of life. Such measures reduce the strain on municipal
resources, resulting in significant revenue savings. Unless the benefits of
these savings are passed back on to the developers and buyers of sustainable
properties, we cannot expect a more wide-spread adoption of the 'green' mantra
in PCMC.
We gratefully
acknowledge the importance that the visiting dignitaries have given to the City
of the Future by gracing it with their
presence. At the same time, we sincerely request them to take heed of PCMC's most
urgent requirements.
About the Author..!
Mr. Anil Pharande
is Chairman – Pharande Spaces & Vice
President – CREDAI (Pune Metro)
Media Contact:
Mr. Jay Kalghatgi
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