1 2 Pune: Over 20,000 residents of the Bopkhel village area have been waiting desperately for the last several years for a bridge over the Mula river , already constructed by PCMC , to be thrown open for their daily commute — pending what civic officials are calling "finishing touches". At present, these citizens are forced to take a detour of 16km or so via Vishrantwadi to access Khadki cantonment and move onwards into other city areas. One side of Bopkhel is lined by the Mula river; the rest is surrounded by lands of defence establishments like the College of Military Engineering (CME), which are off limits to residents.
However, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has still kept the inauguration date of the bridge — which residents dub a "lifeline" — quite vague. A section of officials from the civic body's engineering section told TOI this week that the work is "in its final phase". PCMC chief engineer Pramod Ombhase said, "We are completing vision barrier work on the bridge currently.
" However, he did not specify any date for the opening of the bridge to commuters. In a spot visit by TOI last week with civic engineering section officials, it was found that PCMC has installed a metal sheet on the hedge of the bridge's entire length — 1,856 metres — to block the top view into defence establishments. In its surroundings are located the Bombay Engineer Group (BEG) Centre, Ammunition Factory Khadki, and 512 Army Base Workshop, besides the CME.
The bridge's main road work has been completed. Currently, wall painting work is going on. Furthermore, work on the height barrier entrance on both sides is also underway.
The pending work could even be wrapped up within a week's time, said another civic official, on the condition of anonymity. A few parts of Bopkhel come under Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), but 80% is under PCMC's administration. The latter was supposed to finish the bridge two years ago.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic came along, said civic officials. Another delay was caused by the relocation of high-tension wires in the Khadki and Bopkhel areas, which were blocking the bridge's alignment. Amidst these disruptions, residents of Bopkhel — most of whom are retired after serving in the military or civilian defence services — have been at the receiving end since 2015.
That was the year their entry through CME was shut for security purposes, following a Bombay high court order. Local villagers, who had given their lands to CME, even clashed with the police at the time. They later approached then-Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar, who told CME to construct a pontoon bridge over the river for the residents' commute.
However, it was neither viable nor safe to accommodate daily traffic. Subsequently, Parrikar had visited defence land plots in Khadki and Bopkhel and finalised a route with the Southern Command and Ordnance Factory Board authorities. After getting statutory sanctions from all requisite establishments, the Union defence ministry had given official work permission to PCMC to initiate bridge work at the site, which began in 2019.
Yet, with no end in sight years down the line, many residents have left the locality, saying they are forced to contend with major detours to commute every single day. Some professed that they could not adjust to the inconvenience of travelling 20-25 km daily to reach any destination. Rohidas Joshi, a working professional from Bopkhel, said, "The bridge is not merely a structure for us — it is a lifeline.
We can reach Khadki cantonment in less than 10 minutes once it is done. Right now, we need at least 45 minutes or more than an hour. The difference will be staggering.
The bridge will change the entire equation of the locality drastically." Some citizens pointed out that motorcyclists have already started using the bridge for their daily commute. "What can they do? They are frustrated due to longer detours and extra spending on fuel.
Some just started using the bridge in the recent past," said Achal Kurawat, an elderly resident. Apart from Bopkhel residents, travel time for staff in defence establishments, including CME, will also reduce drastically when the bridge is opened up, helping them avoid the regular traffic snarls on the old Pune-Mumbai highway route. Bhagyadev Ghule, an activist from Bopkhel, said residents are nearing the end of their tolerance.
"PCMC should not test our patience any longer. The bridge needs to be opened for the people of Bopkhel. We heard from some civic officials that they want to open it before or during the assembly election.
Why must the administration succumb to political games? Aren't citizens more important?" he asked. "The bridge will connect us to the city. Most important, we will be able to reach hospitals quickly.
At present, we have go to hospitals in Dighi and Bhosari that are over 10km away, said Santosh Gaikwad, another Bopkhel resident. Project Details: - On July 20, 2019, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) initiated the tender process to construct a bridge in the area - Project Cost Rs53.5cr - Bridge is 8.
40 metres in width - There are 72 pillars across the bridge - It has a 58m approach road on the Bopkhel side and 262 metres on the Khadki side How Was Bopkhel Delinked? - Earlier, it was linked to the Pune-Mumbai highway at Dapodi through a 2.25 km road passing through the defence land - Till May 2015, Bopkhel villagers had easier access from the village to Dapodi via the CME campus - However, CME closed this road after the Bombay high court ruled in their favour owing to security reasons and dismissed a petition filed by the villagers against the road closure - The villagers have since been seeking a bridge across the Mula river to avoid the circuitous route Security Measures - Height barriers for vehicles above 3m on both sides of the bridge - PCMC to set up street lights on the bridge and service roads - Traffic cops to be deployed at main junctions as decided by the Local Military Authority (LMA) - PCMC to provide a 4m-high screen or wall on either side of a section of the bridge overlooking the defence establishments - All people and traffic coming from the Bopkhel side towards the Khadki cantonment will be liable for security checks as and when required by the station commander - PCMC will not put any restrictions on the use of the bridge in the future - Civic body will not levy any tax or fees on the use of the bridge and service roads.
