Pune’s civic body has begun preparations for a drone survey and site film for the proposed 43.60-km High Capacity Mass Transit Circular Route, a fully elevated project that officials say could reduce traffic congestion by 25-30 per cent. The initiative marks a fresh push for a project first proposed in 1987 but repeatedly delayed by land acquisition challenges, high construction costs and technical issues.
The Pune Municipal Corporation is preparing to finalise the revised Detailed Project Report, alignment and financial plan before submitting them for approval at different levels. Municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said the project was being advanced on priority following directions from a review meeting chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis.
The HCMTR is expected to cost Rs 2,634 crore, with a substantial portion of the expenditure linked to acquiring approximately 4.98 lakh square metres of land. The proposed route will require land in Bopodi, Aundh, Bhamburda, Erandwana, Kothrud, Hingne, Parvati, Munjari, Wanawadi, Hadapsar, Mundhwa, Vadgaonsheri, Lohegaon, Yerawada and Dhanori.
Unlike a conventional road-widening project, the HCMTR is planned as a completely elevated route, with ramps connecting it to the city’s main roads. The alignment and its connections will therefore determine how the project interacts with existing neighbourhoods, junctions and road networks across Pune. The civic body has proposed a six-minute film in Marathi and English showing the current project status, site inspections, drone survey, alignment mapping, 3D animation and a presentation of the proposal.
The municipal corporation received three proposals for producing the material. Ram said the Rs 12.3 lakh quotation from Bahawa Entertainment LLP was the lowest. He said the work was urgent and of high priority and that the agency could be approved using special powers under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act.
The project’s land and neighbourhood impact has drawn scrutiny from the HCMTR-Nagrik Kruti Samiti, which has sought transparency in the implementation process. The group said the proposed alignment passes through a dense and developed urban area containing residential neighbourhoods, schools, colleges, hospitals, places of worship and heritage sites.
According to a 2019 study cited by the group, 25 pre-schools, 31 schools and colleges, 19 hospitals, 12 temples and five other listed cultural heritage sites fall within a 500-metre study buffer of the proposed alignment. The group also claimed that more than 1,000 families could be displaced and that several housing societies are located close to the route.
The feasibility study cited by the committee reportedly estimates that around 3,000 trees could be lost. It also identifies possible impacts on forest land, three lakes and three hills, while noting that significant parts of the project area have dense vegetation. These impacts will need to be considered as the revised DPR, alignment and financial plan move towards approval.
The civic body’s immediate next steps are the drone survey, site documentation and preparation of the revised project material. The alignment and financial plan are then expected to be presented to the relevant authorities for approval.
