The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the largest civic body in Maharashtra in terms of area, celebrated its 74th foundation day on Thursday.
Here are 10 noteworthy facts you should know about PMC:
1. The PMC was established on February 15, 1950, with Baburao Sanas serving as its first mayor and SG Barve as its inaugural municipal commissioner.
2. The roots of the PMC trace back to 1857 when it was established as a municipal council. Despite the end of the Peshwa era in 1818, Pune lacked an organised administrative structure until the establishment of the municipal council in 1857.
3. Renowned civil engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, a Bharat Ratna awardee, and eminent freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhale were notable figures actively involved in the municipal council. Visvesvaraya notably contributed to designing Pune's water supply system from the Khadakwasla dam.
4. In 1915, the municipal council initiated the implementation of an underground drainage system, facilitated by a loan.
5. The introduction of kerosene streetlights occurred during 1919-20.
6. The transition from bullock carts to motorised vehicles for garbage transportation took place in 1947.
7. The inception of bus transport occurred in 1949.
8. In 2017, PMC expanded its jurisdiction by incorporating 11 villages, including Lohegaon, Mundhwa, and Hadapsar, among others.
9. A further expansion in 2021 saw 23 adjacent villages joining PMC, encompassing areas like Mhalunge, Sus, and Bavdhan Budruk, among others.
10. With these mergers, PMC's geographical area now spans 516.18 sq km, surpassing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and making it the civic body with the largest area.
