Maha Metro bows to public pressure, drops road plan through Bharat Van
| Date :15-Jan-2020 |
Staff Reporter :
Bowing to public pressure, Maha Metro has dropped its plan to cut through Bharat Van, the pristine semi forest area in midlle of city, for inter-connecting Telenkhedi and Amravati Road. Mahesh Kumar, Director, Projects, Maha Metro, in a communication to Superintending Engineer, Public Works, Nagpur Municipal Corporation, informed about dropping plans for laying a 18-metre road through Bharat Van. The ownership of land is vested with Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krushi Vidyapeeth, Akola. The project had created furore among citizens who joined hands to oppose plans to destroy Bharat Van.
The Hitavada was at forefront of the campaign to oppose evil design by city planners to destroy the green patch in Bharat Nagar area. This time apart from local environmentalists, the people in neighbourhood and common citizens too participated in opposing the plan to cut through Bharat Van. This was in fact one of the longest protest against any development project in city as it would have impacted generations to come. In the communication, Maha Metro mentioned how the road project through Bharat Van got mooted. Mahesh Kumar said that earlier there was plan to constructed a tunnel road through Futala and for that to divert vehicular traffic alternate road through Bharat Nagar area was proposed. But as Maha Metro has shelved the plan for tunnel road, at present there is no need for road through Bharat Van.
In fact, The Hitavada had broken the story about Maha Metro’s withdrawing its plan to cut through Bharat Van. Alternatively the meeting convened at the residence of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, last year also discussed plan to shift the road to Ravi Nagar where it would have necessitated cutting through two playgrounds. The proposal however was not found that suitable for reasons best know to planners and best way was to shelve the tunnel road proposal. But given the stiff opposition from citizens and later intervention from High Court, Maha Metro and backers of the project to cut through Bharat Van had to back off.
Officially however Maha Metro cited refusal on part of NMC for its plan for transplantation of full grown trees in Bharat Van coming in way of road alignment as reason for shelving the project. The letter to NMC also mentioned about two meetings held with Nitin Gadkari June 26, 2019 and later on September 1, 2019, wherein it was decided to explore connecting the two road at alternate location. Maha Metro said its plan to construct the viewers gallery in front of Futala lake continues as per existing plan and for the same there is no need for diversion of any vehicular traffic. A mega music fountain is being constructed at the lake for which the gallery is being constructed. The shelving of irrational and faulty project to divide Bharat Van is a major victory and showcase how people’s power can turn the tide and save disastrous consequences.