Express Town Hall: ‘GBS cases under control, drinking water 100% purified,’ says PCMC chief Shekhar Singh

Manoj More: What is the existent concern vis-a-vis GBS cases successful Pimpri-Chinchwad?

The concern is nether control. There are lone a fistful of patients undergoing treatment. After we learnt that the occupation was created by h2o supplied done a good successful Pune city, we realised that fewer backstage wells supply h2o to societies. Now, it is simply a information that astir societies bash not usage that h2o for drinking water. They usage it for horticulture and different things….But erstwhile we started investigating wells successful the metropolis to hint contamination, successful 1 of the wells, the h2o was not contaminated from a biologic constituent of presumption but determination were a batch of leaves and it was not precise clean. So, we enactment up a committee that said nary 1 should capable h2o from that good immoderate longer…

Then we started disinfecting the wells, backstage ones similar it is done successful agrarian areas….

We got 3 patients from Parandevadi and Talegaon Dabhade, wherever we realised that they had a past of drinking h2o from jars. So, we besides decided that whichever jar bottling plants are determination successful the city, we request to commencement keeping a tab connected them arsenic well. There are astir 10 units that we could find successful the city.

Manoj More: After the GBS scare, person you reviewed the full h2o proviso strategy arsenic determination is speculation that drinking h2o supplied successful Pimpri-Chinchwad is not 100 per cent purified?

If you mean that we are not 100 per cent purifying h2o astatine the h2o attraction plant, that is not correct. We are – some astatine Ravet and Chikhli. But I person nary occupation accepting that determination are a fewer leakages successful the lines. God forbid, if determination is simply a drainage enactment oregon thing similar that which comes successful adjacent interaction with the leakage area, issues mightiness harvest up. But to accidental that we are not treating h2o is perfectly incorrect.

Manoj More: What astir the tanker supply?

Tanker proviso is thing that we bash not power from a backstage proviso constituent of view. But, with this GBS thing, it is astir apt coming to fore that we mightiness person to intervene a spot arsenic acold arsenic the disinfection of backstage wells are concerned.

Now, I americium again repeating that the bulk of societies bash not usage tanker h2o for drinking water. It is simply a fact. But, determination mightiness beryllium immoderate oregon precise fewer cases wherever they mightiness beryllium doing it.

Partha Sarathi Biswas: During COVID, we had a warfare room. Obviously, the fig of cases is not excessively high. But, fixed the ferocity of the disease, bash you person immoderate plans for starting one?

We already started a power country past Thursday. And, we person already declared a helpline fig arsenic well. We are putting a doc connected that helpline number. And we are besides telling radical that if you telephone the Sarthi helpline, it volition redirect you. So, nary request to truly retrieve that fig due to the fact that radical successful PCMC mostly cognize the Sarthi helpline numbers.

So, that bid power centre, benignant of a warfare room, is already operational. And, isolated from that, for each zone, we person enactment successful a doc separately to tackle issues.

Anuradha Mascarenhas: Is determination a clump of GBS successful Pimpri Chinchwad?

No, determination is nary cluster. So, 1 absorbing facet is that adjacent past year, we had astir 83 GBS cases. Throughout the year, determination were patients admitted successful our hospitals, some backstage and municipal.

Manoj More: The postulation congestion successful Pimpri-Chinchwad is increasing by the day. This has been happening for astir 15 years. Do you judge that PCMC and the postulation constabulary person failed to resoluteness this issue? And bash you person a solution to easiness citizens’ nightmares?

So, you person overstated the occupation arsenic acold arsenic the five-hour postulation jam is concerned. I was talking astir 25 junctions wherever determination is simply a problem… One of the junctions we person taken up is Nashik Phata. Something that complicates things successful Nashik Phata is the signal.

Even today, I tin adjacent that awesome and marque the 2 lanes escaped for postulation question connected some sides. Motorists volition person to instrumentality a U-turn from the Vallabhnagar subway if they mean to travel to Kasarwadi from the Pune broadside which is not a large deal. What is stopping maine from doing this is the pedestrian overbridge.

So, currently, Maha Metro had to instrumentality a pedestrian overbridge connecting the Metro presumption with the Kasarwadi Metro station, connected some sides of the highway. They are starting the enactment now. Once that span is completed, I deliberation we tin adjacent the awesome and a batch of that contented volition get resolved.

Manoj More: Citizens and activists person been demanding that BRTS routes, astatine slightest connected the Pune-Mumbai road stretch, should beryllium dismantled. What is your take?

There is nary question of doing distant with BRTS routes successful the city. In fact, I consciousness BRTS routes should beryllium further expanded and much buses should beryllium purchased. We should bash everything to promote nationalist transport and guarantee that less backstage buses travel connected to the roads which volition assistance america from decongesting our roads.

Anuradha: Post-Diwali, we reported that Pimpri Chinchwad was the top-most polluting metropolis successful Maharashtra. What enactment has been taken?

There are 2 kinds of areas successful PCMC which are polluted – 1 wherever operation enactment is underway and the 2nd is the concern area. We besides person respective amerciable MSMEs operating successful the city. We person started adopting stern measures to guarantee that operation firms comply with norms regarding pollution. In the past 1 oregon 2 months, fines to the tune of Rs 45 to 50 lakh person been levied. Recently, we issued ‘stop work’ notices to 5 operation sites. And if they bash not comply adjacent aft 2 violations, past determination volition beryllium a full halt enactment for 30 days.

From a vehicular contamination constituent of view, I deliberation it’s a spot of a longer battle. And it is 1 of the reasons wherefore we went for GRAP [Graded Response Action Plan] this year. And it is inactive a enactment successful progress. It volition not hap immediately.

Anuradha: There is expanding interest astir stray dogs successful PCMC areas. Please comment.

The stray canine issue, again, is 1 that each cities are grappling with. We are trying to ramp up our sterilisation efforts. That besides takes a deed due to the fact that you request to support a canine aft sterilisation for 5 days…we person ramped up our kennels from astir 89 2 years agone to astir 240. They volition get operationalised precise soon. In the adjacent 2 to 3 years, we tin spot the colonisation stabilising.

Ajay Jadhav: Is determination a request for a abstracted municipal corp for Hinjewadi and surrounding areas arsenic it has been talked astir successful governmental circles?

There is nary speech of a abstracted municipal corp from a Hinjewadi constituent of view. The connection of villages successful the surrounding country has ever been to merge with PCMC. The caller connection is bringing villages beyond the Indrayani stream – Talegaon, Alandi, Chakan – unneurotic arsenic a caller municipal corporation. So the authorities is astir apt considering that. One happening is for sure, the sooner that the peri-urban areas travel nether the purview of a municipal corporation, the amended it is.

Ajay Jadhav: The Metro web is being expanded successful Pune city. Why is the aforesaid not being done successful PCMC if it wants to beforehand nationalist transport?

There is simply a program to grow the Metro web and link the 2 lines. It volition walk done Ravet and transverse the aged Mumbai-Pune highway. Actually, Maha Metro is moving connected creating a loop of Metro lines for Pune and PCMC truthful determination volition beryllium enlargement successful PCMC arsenic well.

Sushant Kulkarni: PCMC interacts with respective defence entities, which see delicate Army formations and ordnance establishments. There is simply a frictional past arsenic acold arsenic roads, onshore and entree are concerned. How does PCMC resoluteness these issues?

I consciousness that things are overmuch much streamlined arsenic compared to the past with respect to the processes. For example, erstwhile it comes to the defence lands, determination is an online system. We person got onshore for Suvidha Park successful Bhosari, for a roadworthy successful Pimple Saudagar. We are present applying for onshore for 3 occurrence stations – 1 astatine CME, 1 adjacent Aundh Military Station and 1 successful the Sangvi area. But we are precise mindful of the information that Army and defence establishments are of premier value nationally and that the Southern Command is strategically precise significant.

Soham Shah: The Maharashtra transport commissioner has precocious talked astir a argumentation that volition necessitate radical to springiness impervious of parking abstraction earlier buying vehicles successful the state.

The honourable CM has already made his basal clear. He said that going guardant to onslaught the occupation of postulation congestion, that is 1 of the things that the authorities is astir apt going to instrumentality a presumption on. I would not privation to accidental thing further.

Of course, it is simply a basal that we volition person to instrumentality astatine immoderate constituent of time. Cities globally from Singapore to Japan, Tokyo etc. person already taken those stands. The lone happening that we volition person to beryllium a small spot mindful of is buffering it with a very, precise robust nationalist transport, particularly from a buses constituent of view.

There is besides a related happening astir past mile connectivity and archetypal mile connectivity, and buses being disposable and trips being available.

Soham Shah: New York precocious brought successful congestion pricing. How acold bash you deliberation we are from specified policies?

Not precise far.

Anuradha Mascarenhas: Will radical pay?

I retrieve erstwhile I came to the cadre successful 2013-14, determination was a batch of hullabaloo astir tolls connected the highways. In Kolhapur, if you remember, determination was a immense issue. People nary longer accidental thing similar that. People are good with paying the toll, they person got utilized to it. They volition pay.

Shubham Tigga: What astir the Comprehensive Mobility Plan? What tin we spot from the PCMC side?

The 30-year program is the improvement program (DP). So, that time to Deputy CM sir, we presented the 5 dimensions to resoluteness the postulation congestion.

First facet was caller DP roads, truthful 38 caller DP roads for astir 61 km were initiated past year, amounting to astir Rs 700-odd crore. These are the alternate routes to decongest the main roads. Kate Wasti Road successful Punawale, which has been 1 of the large demands of the people, is lone a 9 m road, whereas successful DP it is 24 m, truthful present we are going for afloat improvement from 9 m to 24 m.

The Satara road is 1 of the large symptom points for the city…Hinjewadi, Wakad, that full stretch. What is present happening is that the main carriageway of the NHAI [National Highways Authority of India], they had a 12 x 12 m work roadworthy connected some sides. PCMC successful the past had already kept different 12 x 12 m work roadworthy extracurricular the NHAI limits.

Over the past one-and-a-half years, we person been capable to get possession of 95 per cent of that onshore and NHAI has precocious issued a tender for creating this 4 lane connected some sides of the main highway. Once that happens successful the adjacent 1 year, I deliberation a batch of this congestion occupation from the Satara road constituent of presumption volition get resolved.

The 2nd astir important strategy is to recognize the missing links. So, from a onshore acquisition oregon from a budgeting constituent of view, we person taken astir 22 of those missing links. It is lone astir 11 km.

Thirdly, we person collaborated with Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) and person tried to place 25 junctions successful the metropolis based connected Google and TomTom data, which shows that these are the apical congested intersections oregon stretches successful the city. And we are going up present connected aggregate strategies.

The 4th is with respect to removing encroachments.

And finally, we are focusing much connected the nationalist transport part, which is simply a spot of a dilatory mover.