The Pune Zilla Parishad (District Council) has formally requested the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to provide ₹136 crore to address urgent development needs in the 32 villages recently merged into the city limits. This demand comes amid ongoing efforts to upgrade infrastructure, protect natural water bodies, and remove encroachments in these rapidly urbanizing areas.
According to officials, the Zilla Parishad’s Chief Executive Officer sent a letter to the PMC, emphasizing the need for immediate financial support to facilitate the formal acquisition and preservation of critical assets such as percolation lakes and bunds. These water bodies are vital for the region’s water security and environmental sustainability, but have come under threat from illegal encroachments and unregulated construction. The letter also calls for the removal of existing encroachments and the demarcation of lake boundaries to prevent further loss of public land.
The PMC has already launched initiatives to safeguard and beautify lakes in Pashan, Model Colony, and Katraj, and plans to extend these efforts to an additional 25 to 30 lakes and bunds in the near future. Funding for these projects has been approved by the Standing Committee, and work is underway at several sites. However, officials stress that additional resources are needed to accelerate progress and ensure comprehensive coverage across all merged villages.
This demand for ₹136 crore comes in the context of broader calls from residents and advocacy groups in the merged areas, who have highlighted persistent gaps in basic amenities such as drinking water, road infrastructure, and garbage processing. Many residents have urged the civic body to allocate at least ₹1,000 crore in the municipal budget for the development of these underserved neighborhoods, pointing out that years after the merger, essential services remain inadequate.
The PMC’s 2025-26 budget, presented in March, reflects the challenges of balancing revenue shortfalls from a slowdown in the real estate sector with the growing needs of an expanding urban population. Building permission and development charges remain the primary sources of revenue for the PMC, but the civic body faces a 10% deficit in revenue collection, making it even more critical to prioritize spending on core infrastructure in newly merged areas.
As Pune continues to expand, the collaboration between the Zilla Parishad and the Municipal Corporation will be crucial in ensuring sustainable urban growth and equitable access to public amenities for all residents.