The last hurdle in completing the 1.5-km road work on Mutha riverbed in Pune was removed on January 18 as the Supreme Court dismissed the prayer by city-based NGO Parisar Society to stay the construction of the road.
The Supreme Court rejected ParisarÂ’s petition upholding Pune Municipal CorporationÂ’s (PMC) submission that 80 per cent work of the road has already been completed and the residents have been using it for the past 12 years. ParisarÂ’s lawyer Neela Gokhale claimed that though the Supreme Court has rejected the NGOÂ’s prayer, it has not rejected the law points raised by it.
To ease the load of vehicular traffic on arterial city roads like Sinhagad Road, Karve Road and the roads in Peth areas, the PMC general body had decided to develop the riverside road from Mhatre Bridge to Tilak Bridge in 2000. Later, the State government had approved the development of the road.
The Bombay High Court, in November last year, had dismissed ParisarÂ’s petition seeking stay on the road work. Later, the NGO had moved the Supreme Court through its secretary Sujit Patwardhan saying that the civic body has no right to develop the road in Mutha riverbed as it will harm the environment.
Contesting ParisarÂ’s prayer, the civic body had said that the riverbed road is in the interest of people and will not affect the environment. Besides, 80 per cent work has already been completed. Speaking to a newspaper, advocate Manjusha Idhate, head of legal panel of PMC said that PMC is happy that the Supreme Court has ruled in PMC’s favour and the remaining development work can be done without any hurdle.
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