HC sets one-year deadline for PMC, collector to complete land acquisition for approach route to Balewadi-Wakad bridge

Pune: The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the PMC and the district collector to complete the process of acquisition of a 10 guntha (10,890 sq ft) land within a year to construct an approach route to the new Balewadi-Wakad bridge. "The process of acquisition shall be initiated forthwith and it shall be completed at the earliest and in any case, within a period of one year from today," the bench of Justice Manish Pitale and Justice Shreeram V Shirsat said.
The bridge, which connects Baner-Balewadi areas with Wakad across Mula River, has been constructed and ready for more than eight years now but has remained unused due to the absence of an approach route. The land required for the same was mired in compensation issues.On April 9, 2025, the high court, while disposing off a PIL filed by Balewadi and Wakad residents, had directed state govt's land acquisition department to "immediately consider" Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)'s proposal and "complete the relevant formalities" for acquiring land for the approach route to the new bridge. Ankush Balwadkar, the landowner, had filed a writ petition seeking compensation and a stay on the acquisition of his land. The matter was since pending final disposal before the bench of Justice Manish Pitale and Justice Shreeram V Shirsat. Advocate Satya Muley, who represented Balewadi and Wakad residents in the PIL, filed an intervention plea bringing to the court's notice the earlier order of April 9, 2025. Muley submitted that the neighbourhoods of Baner and Balewadi under PMC are separated from the neighbourhoods of Wakad, Kaspate Vasti etc in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation by Mula river. Over the past two decades, these neighbourhoods have grown exponentially in population, construction, and commercial development. The bench observed on Wednesday, "We are of the opinion that the urgency in the matter for construction of an approach road to the bridge over the Mula-Mutha river in Pune cannot be denied. The bridge has been already constructed but the public at large is unable to use the same, for the reason that the approach road could not be constructed.""The plight of the general public was taken note of by this court in public interest litigation No.106 of 2024 and in the order dated 09.04.2025 passed in the said PIL, it was noted that the concerned authorities were expected to immediately consider the proposal, complete relevant formalities and acquire the portion of land that would facilitate construction of the approach road towards the bridge," the bench said. The advocate representing the PMC submitted that the civic body was ready and willing to take necessary steps to facilitate acquisition of the subject land. It was ready to deposit the required percentage of compensation with the land acquisition officer and that the procedure prescribed under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 can be undertaken at the earliest.The bench noted, "The petitioner (Balkawade) is not averse to his land being acquired, provided he is paid just, fair and reasonable compensation. In such circumstances, we are of the opinion that the writ petition can be conveniently disposed of by issuing appropriate directions." Muley told TOI, "When the landowner filed the present writ petition and sought a stay on land acquisition, it was the duty of the PMC to inform the court about the final outcome in PIL 106 of 2024 in which the high court had already directed land acquisition under urgency clause." As regards the claim of the petitioner that some portion of land belonging to him was already utilised while constructing pillars of the said bridge, the high court said it was not expressing any opinion and instead, it has been kept open for the petitioner to agitate the aforesaid claim, including the claim of rental compensation strictly in accordance with law.