Pune: The state town planning department has proposed 142 modifications to the draft development plan (DP) for nine areas merged into Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits in 2017.The changes include revisions to road widths and alignments, alterations to reservations for public amenities and provisions for a garbage depot and truck terminus. Lohegaon has the highest number of proposed modifications at 31, followed by Dhayari (20), Undri (19) and Ambegaon Budruk (17).The modifications have been made available for public inspection at the town planning department’s office, PMC headquarters and on the civic body’s website for the next 30 days. The draft will then be forwarded to state govt for approval.The proposed changes mark another step towards finalising the long-pending DP for the nine areas, which were merged with PMC nearly a decade ago. Residents say the absence of a final plan has hampered the provision of basic amenities and planned development in areas witnessing rapid population growth and expanding real estate and commercial activity.PMC initially undertook the DP exercise but failed to complete it within the stipulated deadline, following which state govt took over the process. A committee formed by govt in 2024 published a preliminary draft in 2025. After citizens submitted suggestions and objections, hearings were held earlier this year, following which the town planning authority proposed the 142 modifications.Among the changes, road widths and alignments have been revised in parts of Lohegaon, Undri and Dhayari. Reservations for public amenities, including playgrounds and overhead water tanks, have been altered in pockets of Lohegaon, Sadesatranali and Mundhwa-Keshavnagar. The plan also proposes a truck terminus in Dhayari, in addition to a bus depot, while some areas have been brought under hilltop-hill-slope reservations.However, residents say the changes must protect existing provisions for public amenities and ensure that the final DP is implemented without further delay. Vijay Shitole, a Dhayari resident who has been tracking the DP process, said the prolonged delay was particularly disappointing given the area’s growth.“The pending DP is hampering the development of basic amenities such as schools, gardens, parking areas and playgrounds,” he said.Vikas Thite, a resident of Ambegaon, said govt should set deadlines for developing the reservations once the DP is finalised. Several open spaces earmarked for public amenities in the area have already been encroached upon, he said.“Clearing these encroachments to develop roads and other public amenities will be a huge task for PMC,” he said.Residents have also called for no reduction in road widths and for existing reservations for public amenities to remain intact. They want the final DP approved at the earliest, with clear deadlines for implementing its provisions.
