Drivers in Pune often encounter a jarring sight: a smooth, concrete road suddenly gives way to an unfinished, bumpy dirt patch. These are not mere potholes but officially recognized 'missing links' – gaps in the city's road network that severely disrupt traffic flow.
The Scale of the Problem: 678 Gaps Across the City
According to data from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), there are currently 678 such missing links within its limits, collectively spanning a staggering 459 kilometers. These incomplete sections force vehicles to slow down or swerve, becoming primary culprits for traffic snarls and increased travel times. To address the crisis, PMC has identified and prioritized 33 critical missing link projects for immediate action, categorizing them into A, B, and C groups to fast-track their completion.
Nikhil Mijar, an urban transport planner and designer with PMC, explained the core issue. "Land acquisition is not an easy task," he said. "There are numerous hurdles, processes to follow, and extensive back-and-forth with landowners. The handover can be delayed for years." He emphasized that the prioritized roads were chosen to resolve traffic issues on major routes, promising significant relief once completed.
Why Can't Pune Fix These Roads? The Major Hurdles
The path to completing these links is fraught with complex challenges, primarily centered on land acquisition.
The Compensation Standoff: Cash vs. TDR
Most land needed is privately owned, and owners typically demand monetary compensation. However, PMC, often constrained by funds, prefers to offer Transferable Development Rights (TDR). TDR allows landowners to receive development rights which they can sell to builders. This mismatch in desired payment – cash versus TDR – frequently leads negotiations into a deadlock.
Tax Complications and Legal Loopholes
A peculiar legal twist further complicates matters. If PMC buys land through a mutual deal, the seller is liable to pay tax. But if the land is acquired forcefully under law, the owner pays no tax. Consequently, many landowners want PMC to 'forcefully' acquire their land. However, Mijar clarified that forceful acquisition requires a court order, which is only granted after proving all other negotiation avenues are exhausted—a lengthy process in itself.
Data Mismatches and Inter-Departmental Delays
In many cases, official documents held by landowners and the PMC do not match regarding property size, making it difficult to agree on compensation. Additionally, some missing links have encroachments, often slums. While the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) is tasked with relocating residents, they often propose sites far from their current livelihoods, leading to resistance and halting the entire process.
Past Bad Experiences Haunt New Deals
PMC also faces skepticism from landowners who have had bad prior experiences. "Since they have had a bad experience before, some landowners are unwilling to strike a new deal until their previous compensation is cleared," Mijar noted.
Impact on Commuters: Longer Travel, Lost Faith
The human and economic cost of these missing links is substantial. For instance, fixing the link near Kaspate Vasti in Wakad would drastically reduce congestion on the main flyover, halving travel time for IT professionals commuting between Balewadi, Baner, Mhalunge, and Hinjewadi.
Advocate Satya Muley criticized the PMC for not following High Court guidelines on completing links on roads like Baner-Pashan Link Road. "It is making residents lose faith in the judicial system," he said, adding that these poor roads also cause accidents.
Ravindra Sinha, Convenor of the Baner Pashan Link Road Area Sabha, blamed a lack of political will. He demanded that the state government provide a zero-interest loan to PMC to acquire land and complete over 300 key links within a year.
Qaneez Sukhrani of the Vimannagar Residents Forum highlighted the case of the Shivane-Kharadi link via Gunjan Chowk, which would cut Nagar Road traffic by half. She lamented the lack of PMC accountability despite six years of follow-ups.
Pavanjeet Mane, President of the Forum For IT Employees (Maharashtra), pointed to the incomplete Balewadi-Wakad bridge. Completing just one small patch would ease severe peak-hour congestion for IT professionals traveling between Pimple Saudagar and Baner IT Park.
Pushkar Kulkarni, a Pashan resident, urged authorities to complete missing links before sanctioning new constructions. He cited an instance where PMC's apathy led to the de-reservation of a prime plot for PMPML near the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway.
PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram assured that missing link projects are a priority and not suffering from a fund shortage. "We have taken up the issue on priority and are working to complete all of them as fast as possible," he stated. However, for Pune's weary commuters, that completion cannot come soon enough.
