Pune: The civic body carried out a massive demolition drive on Tuesday against godowns built on the hilltop and hill slopes in the Bibvewadi area. These godowns were spread over an area of 64,250 sqft.The drive was carried out after the owners of these properties did not demolish the facilities despite Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issuing them 27 notices.“The owners did not demolish these illegal properties, so PMC officials razed them with the help of police,” said KH Lakhani, executive engineer of the zone.According to civic officials, these godowns were set up using tin sheds and stored various materials. “The godowns were used to store sanitary fittings, water tanks, chemicals, and other materials. Apart from storage, these sheds were also being used for other commercial activities, including small-scale industrial units operated using lathe machines, bakeries, and food joints,” a civic official said.According to PMC officials, details about the construction activity in these zones are yet to be finalised.The state govt has kept this zone in abeyance under the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations for Maharashtra, which guides construction activity in the state. The state govt has formed a committee to study, review, and develop comprehensive development control regulations regarding the hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation. These regulationswill be included in the approved development plan of PMC and PMRDA. The committee will re-examine the essential criteria considered while delineating the boundaries of the hilltop-hill slope zone and BDP.“The civic administration took action because these areas areecologically sensitive. Traders and residents of the area opposed the action, which led to some tense moments. We had to cut short the demolition drive after the opposition, but it will be commenced soon,” said a civic official from the building permissions (zone 5) department.
