Citizens Against Proposed Bund Garden Bridge

THE RESIDENTS FORUM
B3, La Shanz, Boat Club Road, Pune 411001
E1, Maurya, Naylor Road, Pune 411001
Email: [email protected]

April 10, 2007
To,
The Municipal Commissioner,
Pune Municipal Corporation
PUNE 411 005


Petition Against Proposed Bund Garden Bridge

Dear Sir,

The Pune Municipal Corporation has destroyed the Bund across Mulla-Mutha river and we have learned that the Corporation plans to construct a barrage-cum-road bridge. We have been assured that the barrage with lower sluice gates will enable better river flow management and reduce the accumulation of silt as well as of solid waste still being dumped into the river.

However, the proposed road bridge over the barrage will cause heavy traffic congestion from Sohrab Hall onwards all along Sassoon and Bund Garden roads. This traffic congestion will get even worse with the new Connaught Place mall, the new Satguru mall as well as the new multistoried commercial complex coming up on 1, Boat Club Road besides the Pune Central Mall already at Bund Garden.

Additionally, apart from the Bund Gardens parking lot being destroyed to make way for the approach road to the proposed bridge, the only local green cover i.e. Bund Garden and Joggers Park will no longer be able to survive the increased vehicular pollution as well as will more or less be inaccessible to local residents,

While the barrage should be constructed by PMC as proposed, we object to the road bridge over the barrage and instead suggest an alternative bridge off Naidu Hospital. This alternative solution to the Bridge over the barrage would have far greater benefits:
1. It would reduce the congestion at the Sohrab Hall intersection with the traffic to Yerewada and beyond being diverted away.
2. Reduce the congestion at the Boat Club Road Bund Garden intersection.
3. Help maintain and preserve the green cover of Bund Garden & Jogging Park.
4. Have a pedestrian walk way over the new barrage joining Bund Garden with Cheema Garden.

We request you to NOT allow the construction of the road bridge over the barrage at Bund Garden and instead plan and construct an alternative bridge off Naidu Hospital.

Thank you.
Yours sincerely
For The Residents Forum

Gita Vir
Satish Khot