The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will seek defence ministry’s help to resolve the Dighi red zone issue.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will seek defence ministry’s help to resolve the Dighi red zone issue. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar at Baramati Guest House, Pune.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor Yogesh Behl and Bhosari MLA Vilas Lande said, “We will approach the defence minister with our request to not decrease the outer limits of Dighi magazine depot from 1,145 metre to 600 metre.”
District collector Vikas Deshmukh had instructed the civic body to conduct a detailed survey of the encroachments that came up in the 610-metre red zone area of the magazine depot in Dighi and submit it to the chief minister soon.
Lande said, “We have also asked Pawar that the PCMC should rehabilitate the families residing in the 610-metre red zone area. The survey report will be presented during the meeting with the defence minister.”
Pointing out that it needs “higher explosive holding capacity” to address national security issues, the Ammunition Factory Khadki (AFK) and the defence ministry have asked the PCMC to check encroachments around the no-construction ‘red zone’ near the Dighi magazine depot.
AFK senior general manager BN Singh wrote two letters to municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma on May 14 and May 20 and denied the proposal for the reduction or revision of the 1,145-metre red zone of the Dighi depot to 610 metre.
The letter states that the AKF is witnessing growth and the factory will need higher explosive holding capacity to meet the enhanced ammunition requirements for the nation’s security.
According to PCMC officials, nearly 20,000 constructions have come up in the red zone in the past 30 years. As per the Defence Act, 1903, no residential construction can be permitted in this area and the land can be used only for agricultural purposes.
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