Grand convention centre plan near Pune airport eats into amenity space reservations of area

Pune: The city is reeling under the effects of unabated construction, from constant dust clouds to high heavy vehicle movement, decimation of green cover, and a general strain on essential resources.Amid this churn, an ambitious proposal from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to develop a convention centre — similar to Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi — on a sprawling 30-acre plot in Lohegaon has raised strong objections from citizens.
Although the project is yet in initial stages, residents said the prospect of the stress it will put on civic infrastructure, not to mention its location eating into reserved amenity spaces that would better their standard of living, are all alarming factors. Citizens also pointed to the lack of clarity on what the project exactly entails. PMC commissioner Naval Kishor Ram admitted to TOI that the cost and finer details are yet to be determined. All that is known for now is that this centre is to be modelled on the one based in the capital, with its proximity to the airport being an advantage. Meanwhile, the first hearing for public suggestions and objections to the project was conducted on Jan 27 in the presence of then-city chief engineer Prashant Waghmare. ‘Plan first, announce later' Urban policy planner Maulik Thakkar told TOI that scant thought seems to have been given to this project prior to announcing it. He explained, "The convention centre will be a massive concrete block, resource and energy-intensive, at a time when the rest of the city is struggling for even basics. Once built, it will have to be maintained throughout the year, burdening the energy resources available. It is common knowledge that convention centres of this proposed size often lie unused half the time, but must be maintained. From elaborate lighting to air-conditioning and many other aspects, it will be a very expensive affair. We genuinely need to ask if we need something like this." Moreover, the plot where the centre is proposed is reserved in the 2017 development plan (DP) for public amenities like a hospital, school, playground and garden, among other things. In a notification dated Nov 26, 2025, which appeared in a newspaper on Nov 28, 2025, PMC proposed to alter this reservation for the convention centre. "There is no clarity about what will happen to the civic amenities this plot was reserved for once the reservation is changed. Considering that Lohegaon is still developing and new constructions are mushrooming here daily, a garden, school and hospital will be needed. The green cover loss and traffic mayhem this centre will bring are other things to consider," Thakkar added. Reservations are crucial Architect Sarang Yadwadkar, who was present at the hearing to file objections, told TOI, "The reservations in the 2017 DP are there for a reason. A dedicated parking space near the airport is crucial, and so are the other facilities earmarked to those two survey numbers. The way AeroMall is built already cordons off one access road to the airport, which would have helped alleviate traffic congestion in the area. At least 100ft of the road outside Puru Society will also be rendered useless if the reservation changes, once more curbing convenient access to the airport. The only parking available in the airport's vicinity is the AeroMall, which is expensive. If PMC goes ahead with this centre, it will signify the collapse of urban planning." Vivek Velankar, president of citizens' group Sajag Nagrik Manch, agreed that the reservations are much-needed. "Through Right to Information (RTI) Act applications, we learnt that when PMC checked internally with each department concerned whether the respective reservation was required, they were given a resounding ‘yes'. For example, when the garden department was asked if the neighbourhood needs a garden as residents demanded it, garden officials went a step ahead and even asked the projects department to acquire the space for them. Basically, all the current reservations are essential for a better quality of life for residents here," he said. "The area around the airport is already congested and so, the DP road is essential. These reservations were a part of the 2017 DP, which was eight years ago. They were planned considering an eventual and increased requirement. First, basics need to be met. The convention centre is definitely not that important," Velankar added. Procedural lapses abound According to Rohan Aaron, a Wagholi resident and civic activist, the project is rife with procedural inconsistencies. "There is no proactive disclosure of information about the Mandapam on PMC's website. Citizens were given less than five working days' notice for the objection hearing. Section 4(1)(c) & (d) with section 4(2) and (3) of the RTI Act mandate suo motu publishing of all relevant facts and reasons while formulating policies and announcing decisions that affect the public, through various means of communication including the internet, so that the public does not have to resort to use of RTI to obtain information. Furthermore, section 37 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act of 1966 mentions that suggestions and objections from the general public will be invited (through local newspapers) along with serving notices on all affected persons. However, all residents of Lohegaon weren't served this notice," he pointed out. "Bombay high court in multiple orders while hearing various public interest litigations (PILs) has observed that preparation of a DP and any modifications to it is to be undertaken in consultation with planning experts. A detailed procedure is to be followed, involving consultation at various levels. Removing the hospital reservation is concerning as it undermines public health. Furthermore, removing reservations of green spaces undermines the Maharashtra Urban Areas Trees Protection & Preservation Act of 1975, leading to exacerbated pollution and climate change issues," he said. Traffic concerns galore "Even the most simple math dictates that building a convention centre the size of Delhi's Bharat Mandapam in Pune will be a catastrophic endeavour with regards to traffic," said economist Ameet Singh, adding, "Under the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations, 2020, one can get floor space index (FSI) of nine. Consider that the total area built-up will be around 1 crore 8 lakh sq ft, a structure of this size could attract crowds between 40,000 to 1 lakh. Where will the traffic go? It will have to pass through a small, bottlenecked underpass in Ramwadi or via Yerawada Chowk or through Vimannagar." "At least one lakh people commute to the airport daily via these routes and an additional few lakhs to IT parks and neighbouring areas. The capacity is already overwhelmed. Besides, Pune airport, with its new terminal building, is planning on doubling its flights. It does approximately 200 today and caters to over 40,000 flyers. Doubling this takes the number up to 400-500 and about a lakh people flying," Singh further explained. Citizens Speak PMC at present has just three hospitals and only a few thousand beds to serve lakhs of citizens. The hospital reserved here is important and required. How can a smart city like Pune not have access to quality and inexpensive medical services? We also need more gardens as neighbourhoods like Vimannagar and Lohegaon are already congested and need a breather. More importantly, why is the planning authority so adamant on this project when their own internal departments have responded to the contrary? Pune is witnessing a massive amount of construction and the population is increasing in droves. We need civic services that cater to the growing number of people— Rekha Joshi | Former GST officer It is incumbent on PMC to provide a hybrid option for the objection hearing to citizens. Since this was not available on Jan 27, the hearing itself is illegal and contrived in favour of the planning authority. If any important road shown in the final DP is to be cancelled, it is necessary that a detailed traffic survey study be conducted and published to present the impacts of such deletion on the traffic of adjoining roads and the complete neighbourhood at large. This has not been done, nor presented before the public. Once again, this proposal of deletion of reservations is immature and therefore untenable — Qaneez Sukhrani | Convenor, Vimannagar Citizens' Forum PMC commissioner says The proposal for the convention centre came from state govt. Following due process, a notification was issued to initiate the change in reservations for the site. We recently had the first hearing for objections and suggestions. We will collate all these and send to state govt, which will look at their gravity before anything goes ahead. It is private land as of now. The plan is still in its initial stages and nothing has been decided. As far as civic amenities are concerned, that is an issue across the city, not specific to areas near the proposed site of the convention centre. We are working on making the basics better, irrespective of this project. We already have a DPR for most merged areas and are working on the nine areas that are pending— Naval Kishore Ram | PMC commissioner