PMC intensifies action against illegal constructions with weekly demolition drives

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has intensified its drive against illegal constructions in the city through weekly drives to demolish structures built without following the prescribed procedure.

In areas around Shivane, Bavdhan, Warje and Kothrud, officials said, illegal constructions have increased.

Sachin Jawalkar, a junior engineer from the building permission department, said: “In the last month alone, several notices have been issued regarding constructions without permission across various locations. We are ensuring that every week, on Wednesday and Friday, action is taken and buildings that are found illegal are razed.”

The PMC claims that it keeps a vigilant eye on new constructions to ensure that proper approvals are taken. Jawalkar said that structures built without permission are identified with the help of surveyors, following which notices are issued. “Our surveyors are on the field who help us find buildings and constructions without permits from the department. We send notices for such constructions asking proper clarification, and after the PMC establishes that the construction was built without approval, appropriate measures are taken,” he added.

Activists, however, accuse the PMC of not being vigilant. “I had filed an RTI regarding construction on an illegally possessed land in Uttam Nagar. When it was proven that the construction was illegal, PMC demolished it. The construction had come up in 2010,” said Gauri Wanjale, a Pune-based activist.

PMC officials said this particular area had come within the PMC limits in 2017. “After we asked the owner to submit documents regarding the construction, our legal department found that the documents were not authentic. We, therefore, demolished the construction promptly. Likewise, we are now verifying documents regarding authorised constructions,” Jawalkar said.

Wanjale said the PMC officials delay their action which is resulting in mushrooming of illegal constructions. “When new construction comes up, the PMC officials look the other way. Only when the construction has come up substantially, do they act. This results in wastage of precious construction material and loss of time, money and energy. Instead of this, the PMC officials should act when the construction has just started. For this to happen, they need to be extra vigilant,” Wanjale said.