‘Systematic growth of twin township needed’

Shrikar Pardeshi, the municipal commissioner of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), called for a systematic and people oriented growth of the twin township.

Pardeshi, who was talking about his experience and observations during his recent visit to the United States of America (USA), at the Auto Cluster in Chinchwad on Wednesday, also called for a change in the mindset when it comes to development.

Pardeshi, while addressing a gathering of realtors, pointed out that how in PCMC, both the drinking water and sewage pipelines are laid side by side. “With drinking water being supplied for 3-4 hours in a day, the rest of the time, the pipes develop vacuum. In case of any leakage in the sewage pipes, the risk of contamination rises,” he said. In contrast, Pardeshi, pointed out how in the USA, the water and other sewage utilities are properly laid, to minimise any threat of contamination or health hazards.

Also, Pardeshi pointed out how in the PCMC, the issue of Non Motorised Transport (NMT) has not been addressed properly. “As compared to the US, India has less cars per person. However, road congestion is a major issue for us. With PCMC set to see an exponential population growth, the condition in the next 10 years or so will be really worrisome,” he said. Pardeshi said the state of footpaths was far from satisfactory, with many of the footpaths being encroached upon or broken, forcing people to risk their lives and walk on the road.

“In the US, the public authorities make a strong effort for dissemination of official information and we have to make efforts to carry out similar exercises in PCMC too. In fact, I will be happy if people ask under RTI about my correspondence with the government,” he said.