The area surrounding the military establishment in the 610 meters radius of the Dighi magazine depot near Bhosari is the non development area which is called the Red Zone and hence no civil constructions are allowed here. Still you can see around 250 houses ad constructions standing on this land. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided to demolish the illegal constructions soon.

The area up to 1,145 meters around the depot is the red zone and hence the civic body has planned to take action against the constructions which come within the 610 meter radius.  However, the political leaders and the residents in the area want the radius to be reduced further.

The survey conducted by the PCMC says that there are more than 4,000 constructions in the radius of 1,145 meters. The number of structures within 610 meter radius is around 250. The PCMC has got directions from the Pune divisional commissioner Dilip Band to take action against these 250-odd constructions. Mr. Band conducted a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the matter in detail.  Municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma and defense officials were also present at the meeting.

Band was later talking to the correspondents in this regard. He informed the reporters that the civic body has decided to send a report to the defense ministry recommending that the limits of the no-development zone be reduced from 1,145 to 645 meters. The authorities are also planning to prepare the similar kind of a report regarding the reduction of the non development zone near the Dehu Ordnance Depot (DOD).

The civic body prepared the draft of the development plan (DP) for the newly-merged villages in 2000. That time no one took any objection against the constructions in the Red Zone. Later in 2009 the new DP was approved; but there is no mention to the restrictions in the no-development zone. Now the Union Government is likely to issue a fresh notification on the no-development zone.

After such notification is issued by the Union government, an officer has to be appointed to conduct the survey of the concerned areas and demarcate the affected land.   Due compensation is given to the land owners. However the plan is still in the pipeline, informed Mr. Ashish Sharma.

In the meanwhile, notices have been sent to the owners of the 250-odd constructions by the civic body asking them to demolish the constructions on their own. Police security too has been arranged while the authorities take the action against these constructions. Dilip Kudale, coordinator, engineering department, PCMC said that they are waiting for the police security. As soon as they get it, legal action would be taken against the said structures.

On the other hand, Mr. Vilas Lande, independent MLA from Bhosari assembly constituency thinks that the 250-odd constructions should not be removed before the land owners are paid due compensations. Lande has already written to Mr. Band in this regard.

-Yogesh Sapre