PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is set to release a red zone map within a week, identifying areas where construction is not allowed near the ordnance depot on Dehu Road and the magazine depot in Dighi. This initiative aims to clarify the status for nearly 4,000 property owners in proximity to these defense facilities.
The map was submitted to defense authorities on Tuesday for review to ensure sensitive installations are excluded from the public version, according to a senior civic official. “We expect to receive feedback in four to five days, after which the map will be available to the public,” stated Kishor Gokhale, deputy director of PCMC’s town planning department.
Following the map’s release, boundary demarcation will begin, clearly identifying properties within the prohibited zone.
The civic body had initiated a survey to determine red zone boundaries in December 2023, shortly after a devastating fire at an illegal candle manufacturing unit in Talawade, which resulted in at least 13 fatalities and sparked outrage over unauthorized industrial operations in restricted zones.
PCMC allocated Rs 1.1 crore for the survey and mapping work, which is being conducted by the land records department. However, the project, anticipated to take a month, has faced multiple delays for various reasons.
More than 4,000 residential, commercial, and industrial structures fall within the restricted zone, affecting areas such as Talawade, Nigdi, Ravet, Kiwale, Chikhali, and parts of Moshi, Dighi, Bhosari, and Wadmukhwadi. All these properties are classified as illegal, as construction is banned within a 2,000-yard radius of the ordnance depot and a 1,200-yard radius of the magazine depot under the Works of Defence Act.
Residents and industrial associations near the ordnance depot have long contested these restrictions, claiming they established their properties before the prohibitions were enforced. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mentioned in the assembly that he would address the demand to modify red zone boundaries with the defense ministry, though no progress has been reported.
Residents continue to experience uncertainty regarding their property status, with many buyers alleging fraud after realizing construction permissions were denied. “A red zone map will provide clarity, allowing potential buyers to verify if construction is permitted on properties they intend to buy,” remarked a senior PCMC official.
