Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will on Monday inaugurate in Pimpri-Chinchwad a slew of development projects which the BJP initiated when it ruled the municipal corporation from 2017 to 2022.
Among the major projects to be inaugurated is the water treatment plant at Chikhali, ensuring 100 millions of litre per day (MLD) water for the industrial city. It was supposed to be inaugurated on May 5, but since Fadnavis was not available, the function had to be postponed, said sources.
He will also inaugurate the pumping station in Nighoje near Chakan. “Like it is done in Ravet, the pumping station will help lift water from the Indrayani river. And through a closed pipeline, it will be brought to Chikhali and treated at our new plant. We have laid a 4 km pipeline from Nighoje to Chikhali. At Nighoje, water will be lifted from the Indrayani river, whose primary source is the Andra dam,” PCMC’s joint city engineer Shrikant Savane told The Indian Express Sunday.
“Already, for the trial run, we are lifting 50 MLD water. After the plant’s inauguration, we will conduct the necessary tests and ensure all pipelines are properly connected. Once this is done, we will start lifting 100 MLD water,” Savane said.
The PCMC lifts 450 MLD of water from the Pavana dam. It provides alternate day water supply to different parts of the city. With Pavana level dipping this summer and the PCMC advising citizens to use water sparingly, civic officials said the additional water from the Chikhali plant would be a tremendous help.
“The additional 100 MLD water from the Andra dam will help somewhat ease water complaints in the city,” Savane said. Officials said the PCMC would also get 167 MLD of water from the Bhama Askhed dam in two years.
Fadnavis will also perform ‘bhoomi pujan’ for the new 18-floor administrative building of the PCMC. “The PCMC’s old administrative building was constructed in 1988. It has five floors. The new administrative building will have 18 floors and is being constructed keeping the future growth and expansion of PCMC and the city,” PCMC city engineer Makrand Nikam told The Indian Express.
When the old building was inaugurated in 1988, the PCMC had around 2,000 employees. “Today, we have more than 7,000 employees. This number is going to increase in the coming years. Currently, there is a space crunch in all the departments. The movement of employees is also affected. The new building will have a lot of space and will be well-equipped,” Nikam said, adding that the building will be environment-friendly.
The new building will have a parking facility for more than 1,000 two-wheelers and cars, solving the parking woes of visitors and officials.
Currently, the old building has very little space for parking of private as well as official cars. As a result, many are seen lined up along the Pune- Mumbai highway which has already become narrower after the construction of the Pune Metro. Even citizens arriving daily in PCMC headquarters on their two-wheelers struggle to find parking space.
“We plan to have the municipal commissioner’s office on the first or second floor in the new building. Similarly, the mayor’s cabin will also be on the lower floors. The civic general body and standing committee halls will also be set up in the lower floors of the building. This will help avoid the movement of citizens on top floors. The top floors will have departments with minimum work of citizens,” Nikam said.
“The building is being constructed at a cost of Rs 311 crore and will be ready in three years. Once completed, we don’t think the PCMC will need to expand to set up another building for 40-50 years,” Nikam said.
Fadnavis will be in the city from 10 am and will return to Mumbai in the afternoon, sources said.