PCMC - How The New Pune Was Born
by Mr. Arvind Jain, Managing Director - Pride Group
A few decades ago, the
question of where to live in the Pune Metropolitan Region had only one rational
answer - in Pune, and as close to core areas like Kothrud or Sadashiv Peth as
possible. The Pune Municipal Corporation or Pune Mahanagar Palika, established
in 1950, controlled (and continues to control) the whole administration of Pune
City. As such, the kind of civic infrastructure and amenities that made life
tolerable anywhere in the city were provided by the PMC.
There was no Plan 2 -
people could either live within PMC limits and get the basic experience of
urban life, or choose to live somewhere outside the PMC limits and put up with
considerable hardships.
Though the
neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) was formed way back
in 1970, it was initially not seen as a serious alternative for Punekars. In
earlier years, the PCMC was developed primarily as an industrial area whose
focal point was the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
In
the first place, the persistent 'industrial area' tag was quite unappealing to
residents of Pune - and to be sure, the PCMC did not have much to offer. It was
a 'C' class municipality, with everything that this classification implied more
or less reflecting on the ground in the PCMC's residential areas.
All this changed when
the Pimpri Chinchwad New Township Development Authority (PCNTDA) was formed in
1972, and charged with the responsibility of developing the areas towards the
north of the Pune Metropolitan Region. This marked the birth of Pimpri
Chinchwad New Town, where residential and commercial spaces were planned and
developed according to a pre-determined blueprint.
The effects on the
urban fabric of the region were profound and almost immediate. In 1975, the
Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was upgraded from a 'C' class to an 'A'
class municipality. Today, it is the most prosperous municipal corporations in
Maharashtra, and is seeing a very rapid growth to the tune of 6% annually.
 |
| Arvind Jain, MD - Pride Group. |
The
PCMC has also emerged as a far more desirable region to live in than the Pune
Municipal Corporation. This is primarily because everything that makes life
easier in a city - such as water and electricity supply, roads, green open
spaces and safety - is more abundantly available in the PCMC.
As Narendra Modi had
correctly identified long before he became Prime Minister, infrastructure is
the backbone of any modern city. Without the benefit of steady infrastructure
building and upgradation, a city will eventually not be able to match up to the
needs of its growing population. This is precisely what has been happening in
the Pune Municipal Corporation, which has not had the benefit of planned,
logical development.
Furthermore, the most
vibrant employment hubs of the Pune Metropolitan Region - its automobile and
manufacturing industries as well as the Hinjewadi IT Park - are situated in the
PCMC. It is far more convenient for people working in these establishments to
live close to their workplaces than far off in the primary city.
Living close
to work also means that they can reach there by public transport, which is also
far superior in the PCMC - both in terms of quality and reliability. This,
coupled with the attraction of more affordable real estate prices, has sparked
off a steadily escalating outward migration from Pune's core areas into the
PCMC.
Naturally, this fact
has not been lost on property investors who map the movement of demand for
residential real estate so as to anticipate where the highest returns are
possible. Today, for all practical purposes, PCMC is the New Pune - the city
for contemporary Punekars to work, live and raise a family in.
About The Author:
Mr. Arvind Jain is
Managing Director of The Pride Group, a
world-class property development conglomerate that is changing the cityscapes
of Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore.
Established in 1996, Pride Group has built and
delivered over 10 million sq.ft. of constructed area. Pride Group has recently
launched Pride World City, the
400-acre luxury mega-township at Charoli, Pune.
For Media Contact
Jay Kalghatgi
Client Interface - CopyConnect
Mobile: 93201 42248
No comments:
Post a Comment