PUNE: Even after a month of the Bombay High Court directing the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to construct a temporary bridge at Bopkhel for the villagers, no concrete step has been taken by the civic body in this regard.
While hearing petitions filed by Mangla Ghule and Shrirang Dhodade, a Bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice CV Bhadang in their order on May 5 stated: “We direct the corporation to select a separate site for construction of a temporary road parallel to the permanent bridge which is to be constructed outside the Defence establishment, and along with the local Member of the Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly and the Corporation, all other concerned officials should make an attempt to complete the temporary bridge by earmarking the site within a period of two months.”
There are 20,000 people residing in Bopkhel village, located along Mula river. Following a high court directive two years ago, defence authorities closed the 2 km-long Bopkhel-Dapodi road passing through the College of Military Engineering (CME) premises.
The CME constructed a temporary bridge in June 2015, but that too was removed last June.
The grievance of the villagers is that since the temporary bridge has been dismantled they have to travel for 15 to 18 km for circumventing the military establishment.
The defence officials submitted to the court that they have handed over 2.5 hectares to the PCMC to construct an alternative bridge, but nothing has happened.
The district collectorate officials said they have written to the defence authorities to give No Objection Certificates (NOC) to the PCMC to build a permanent bridge on the Mula River.
The collectorate has given the letter to Khadki station headquarter, Defence Estates Office and Ammunition Factory in Khadki to facilitate NOC for the bridge.
It was also submitted on behalf of defence authority that the villagers on many occasions have resorted to stone throwing, damaging the military equipment and government property.
The villagers have also threatened not to allow military vehicles to pass from this road in village.
The court came down heavily on the petitioners and villagers.
“We direct the petitioners and the villagers to desist from doing this, and if any complaint of threatening the Defence Personnel is received, the petitions will be dismissed forthwith and a further direction would be given to take strict action against the miscreants who are resorting to stone throwing and disrupting the traffic,” the High Court order states.
