Demolition drive to begin after Ganesh Festival

The district administration will kickstart its drive against illegal constructions and encroachments after Ganesh Festival, District collector Vikas Deshmukh said. "We will first look at unoccupied structures before pulling down occupied structures,'' he said. The drive was initially supposed to begin on September 15.

The district administration has identified over a thousand illegal constructions in villages along the boundary of Pune Municipal Corporation limits, in Katraj-Ambegaon, Jambhulwadi, Manjari and Phursungi. According to the district administration, there has been nearly 120 per cent increase in illegal constructions in the district post the Regional Plan of 1997, in which 1.13 lakh illegal constructions were listed in the district.

At present, the district collectorate estimates around 2.5 lakh illegal constructions in the district with large-scale growth along fringe areas.

In the recent Assembly session, it was decided that a three-member committee would be formed under the principal secretary revenue, urban development department (UDD) and rural development department to review illegal constructions in Pune, Nashik and Nagpur.

Pune district administration has already listed 8,853 illegal structures in 13 talukas, with Maval and Haveli topping the list. Of these, 3,634 have been issued notices, while offences have been registered in 6,019 cases. Only two have been regularised. An action plan has been chalked out for Wagholi, Ambegaon, Uttamnagar and other fringe areas where 1,339 illegal structures have been identified.

The administration have set up teams and have undertaken survey in all the villages along the fringe areas and notices were issued.

"All the constructions will be pulled down after conducting a thorough assessment,'' an official said. The administration has also been promised additional machinery from the state government for conducting the demolition drive.

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