• Source:JND
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In a major relief for the residents and IT professionals in Pune, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has launched a Rs 650 crore infrastructure project to ease traffic congestion in Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in the city's Hinjewadi, as per a report by Pune Pulse.

The infrastructure project will include roads and flyovers for which the land acquisition process is currently underway.

Notably, vehicular traffic has sharply increased in and around Hinjewadi in the last few years. The massive traffic has strained the existing roads, which are proving insufficient, especially around Laxmi Chowk which is a chocking point.

For this area, the MIDC is building a 720-meter four-lane flyover at a cost of Rs 40 crore. Among other major components of the project, a 900-metre six-lane road will be built between Shivaji Chowk and Smashanbhoomi at a cost of Rs 24.74 crore.

New road at Rs 584 crore

Moreover, a new road will also be built between Phases I and III of the IT Park at a whopping cost of Rs 584.14 crore. In order to expedite the process, the MIDC has reportedly taken over the land acquisition responsibilities from the Public Department, after a decision led by District Collector Jitendra Dudi.

Regarding the start of construction work, MIDC Regional Officer Archana Pathare said, "Once sanctioned, work will begin as directed by the District Collector."

IT sector welcomes project

The move was welcomed by the IT sector, but the stakeholders have urged further involvement of the government.

Pawanjit Mane, President, Forum for IT Employees said, "The Industries Minister should visit the area. Metro alone won’t fix the issue—additional roads and flyovers are vital."

Hinjewadi suffers from severe traffic congestion due to the high number of private vehicles with a lack of sufficient public transport. The bustling area witnesses lakhs of vehicles on a daily basis, despite that, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) runs only about 200 buses.

At peak times, the congestion situation worsens, thereby highlighting an urgent need for functional metro services.