Pimpri Chinchwad On Its Way To Get Smart, Developmental Projects Line Up

Pimpri Chinchwad, one of the major industrial hubs in Western Pune will now be a part of Indian Smart Cities Mission. On December 30, chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis tweeted “Good news for Maharashtra! Thank you Hon @narendramodi ji & @MVenkaiahNaidu ji for including Pimpri Chinchwad too under #smartcity Mission!”

In the proposal sent to the urban development ministry, Pimpri Chinchwad was clubbed with Pune. Although Pune was selected under the Smart Cities Mission but nothing was mentioned about Pimpri Chinchwad. This move raised a concern among activists and political leaders. In September, at a special meeting, Pimpri Chinchwad got a green signal from the general body for its inclusion in the Smart Cities Mission. This was forwarded to the state government and the urban development ministry. In October, Mayor Shakuntala Dharade along with a group headed by Sharad Pawar and elected office-bearers had a meeting with Venkaiah Naidu for making the city a part of Smart Cities Mission. Finally, on December 30, the city was made a part of the Indian Smart Cities Mission.

Pimpri Chinchwad's inclusion under smart cities mission is a good news for investors and IT professionals as it will ensure excellent living standards and good rate of returns. The city has a populace of more than 20 lakh and will get a funding of around Rs 1,000 crore for its development.

Indian cities are heading towards getting smart and housing for all is a great initiative. Definitely, Wi-fi in public areas, access to electronic lighting and app-enabled services is a great idea. But, this makes sense only when the city has the basics such as clean water, regular power supply and efficient waste management system. The authorities are taking the effort to bring this integration of basic and modern facilities in Pimpri Chinchwad. The proposal for 18 Pimpri Chinchwad based development projects will be brought back. Some projects comprise of Wi-Fi service, riverfront development, improvement of 13 sewage treatment plants, 24x7 water supply and the extension of the Bus Rapid Transit System corridors.

Moreover, under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) , storm water canals will be constructed along Pavana and Indrayani rivers. Under the plan, in the next five years emphasis would be made on increasing the green cover by 15 per cent.

Several residential localities in Pimpri Chinchwad face problems because of the blue flood line of Pavana river. Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has sent a proposal to the irrigation department of the state to carry out a survey and create a new mark for the blue flood line of Pavana river. This will help demarcate flood-prone areas while making sure that livability and construction are not affected. Furthermore, the Cabinet gave green signal to the development of phase-1 of Pune Metro project.

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