Pune: The long-delayed Katraj-Kondhwa road widening project, aimed at improving traffic flow in Pune’s southern region, has seen its costs skyrocket to ₹1,100 crore.

Launched in 2018, the project has struggled due to indecision over road width, compensation challenges, and procedural delays, leaving only 6% of the required land acquired over seven years.

The project, spanning 3.5 kilometers from Rajas Society in Katraj to Khadi Machine Chowk in Kondhwa, was initially estimated to cost ₹715 crore for land acquisition in 2017. However, the prolonged process has inflated costs by ₹400 crore.

The Pune Municipal Corporation had initially planned an 84-meter-wide road but scaled down to 50 meters in the first phase due to hurdles in land acquisition. Recently, a decision was made to revert to the original 84-meter plan, prompting a demand for an additional ₹400 crore from the government.

Land Acquisition Woes:

To date, only 18,250 square meters of the 2,94,000 square meters required have been acquired. Despite ₹139 crore from the government and ₹72 crore allocated by the Municipal Corporation, an additional ₹883 crore is still required, half of which is expected to come from the state government.

Challenges in Compensation:

Efforts to compensate landowners with TDR and FSI have largely failed due to bureaucratic delays and procedural complexities. Frustrated by the lack of cooperation from officials, many landowners are now demanding direct cash compensation. The Municipal Corporation has agreed but faces rising land prices, further driving up costs.

The escalating expenses and persistent delays have transformed the project into a cautionary tale of urban planning challenges, with no clear timeline for completion.