The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) carried out a demolition drive on Saturday, bulldozing Jaihind Talkies in Khadki on the Mumbai-Pune highway. The civic body undertook this action to ease traffic congestion, with the presence of road department chief Aniruddha Pawaskar, executive engineer Amar Shinde, and around 50 contractual labourers.
Jaihind Talkies was one of the last few remaining single-screen cinema halls that has now been demolished. This cinema hall was the final obstacle in the Central Hatchery to Harris Bridge stretch, a road slated for widening. The acquisition of this space is expected to address a longstanding traffic issue, as the stretch connects the PMC and PCMC areas, witnessing heavy commuter traffic daily.
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, the civic body cracked down on nearly 40 eateries violating building permission norms across various areas including Kalyani Nagar, Mundhwa, Pune Railway Station area, Koregaon Park, Viman Nagar, and Ghorpadi.
Madhav Jagtap, head of PMC’s encroachment department, stated, “The action taken on Jaihind Talkies is part of a road widening project. We are also addressing all illegal constructions. Recently, we took action against 40 establishments not complying with structural norms.”
PMC officials confirmed the demolition of three major food joints and seven rooftop eateries, with action taken against 30 other restaurants for front and side-margin violations. The civic body is also identifying properties with unauthorised roof enclosures or additional constructions.
Residents reported that numerous eateries demolished during the day were operational again by evening, leading to outcry across different neighbourhoods. PMC mentioned that it had demolished unauthorised constructions at 40 food establishments spanning 54,300 square feet, with plans to address the remaining 20 within the next day or two.
Soniya Shahane, a resident of Ravet, commented, “It's good that Jaihind Talkies has been demolished, as the area previously experienced significant traffic congestion. With the road widening, vehicle movement will become easier, alleviating traffic woes. However, the demolition of eateries seems superficial; PMC should take strict action against violators.”
The demolition drive commenced after PMC Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale held a review with officials regarding bars and restaurants with unauthorised structures.
