The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has halted work on the ambitious Mula-Mutha River Front Development (RFD) project after a meeting on Sunday with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, who ordered that experts' opinions on the project be taken into account.
The work will be halted until revised environmental clearance is obtained from the Maharashtra State Environment Department. The RFD project work began in March 2022 amid opposition from environmentalists and some citizens. Currently, work is being carried out on two stretches: between Sangamwadi and Bundgarden, and between Bundgarden and Mundhwa.
Raj Thackeray, in a meeting on Sunday, said, “A committee of city-based environmental experts will review the RFD project. We have demanded the RFD work be stopped and a committee of city experts and PMC officials be formed before resuming the project. The Chief Minister has ordered accordingly.”
Activist calls it a logical move
Environmental activist Sarang Yadwadkar, speaking to Free Press Journal, said, “The decision to halt the RFD project is a logical move, and a committee will be formed to review the project. We want committee members to know about the project and urban planning. People from IIT and civic society with a deep understanding of climate change should be included. The committee should conduct a fair and transparent review in the best interest of nature. The only solution to the issue is the removal of encroachments from the river belt.”
The Mula-Mutha riverbank in Pune, spanning 44 km, is set to be beautified similarly to the Sabarmati River in Gujarat. Approved in 2018, the project costs ₹4,727 crore and will be completed in 11 phases. Three phases are currently in progress on a pilot basis. Phase one, costing ₹700 crore, is funded by the PMC, while the remaining expenses will be covered through a public-private partnership (PPP).
