Once again, PMC gears up to spend crores on beautifying Pune ahead of G20 meet

The Pune Municipal Corporation is repairing and beautifying roads that will be used by the G20 delegates by painting them, planting trees and illuminating streets and flyovers.

The municipal corporation had withdrawn its decision to procure artificial lighted trees at a high cost after facing widespread criticism.

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The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is yet again gearing up to host G20 delegates from across the world and is repairing and beautifying roads and flyovers in the city, spending crores of rupees, ahead of the two meets scheduled this month.

The PMC had received flak for a similar initiative ahead of a G20 meet in January this year as citizens complained that taxpayers’ money was being spent to impress foreign delegates, at the cost of ignoring other parts of the city. The municipal corporation had even withdrawn its decision to procure artificial lighted trees at a high cost after facing widespread criticism.

Despite its past experience, for the two upcoming G20 meetings on digital economy and education, the PMC has taken up beautification work of Pune Nagar Road, Solapur Road, Pashan Road, Kharadi Bypass and Baner Road, routes that the delegates will pass through.

“The repair of roads and cleanliness alongside the roads has been taken up. The road dividers are painted and streets are illuminated,” PMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Vikas Dhakne said. The road repair work and painting are being carried out by the road department, cleanliness is being handled by the solid waste management department, the illumination of streets and flyovers by the electrical department, and the planting of saplings alongside roads and in dividers by the garden department.

The garden department has planned to place 1,280 large-sized pots with plants and trees at a cost of Rs 42.34 lakh. It includes 200 Foxtail Palm at Rs 1,800 each; 100 Raphis Palm at Rs 4,000 each; 200 Bougainvillea at Rs 5,000 each; 250 Starlite plants at Rs 4,000 each; 250 Black Ficus plants at Rs 5,000 each; and 280 Areca Palm at Rs 800 each. In addition, the PMC plans to purchase 1,760 matte pots of different sizes at a total cost of Rs 41.72 lakh.

“The PMC is getting these pots and plants to permanently beautify the city roads. They will be put on five roads and flyovers on them. The prices are high as the pots are of big size and the tree age is from two years to 10 years. These pots will also be used to beautify the BRTS stretch on Nagar Road and dividers will also have flowers,” Dhakne explained.

The electrical department will design the poles on roads leading to Balewadi Stadium and carry out attractive lighting and electrical works at Rs 22.91 lakh.

A total of Rs 50 lakh is being spent on Solapur Road for trimming the trees in the dividers, planting new trees, and beautifying work. While Rs 49.98 lakh will be spent on Pashan Road and Baner Road, Rs 97.14 lakh will be used for beautification work from Kharadi bypass to Solapur Road and Rs 98.65 lakh for beautification of Nagar Road.