Tejas Navale
Pune, January 15, 2025:In a major relief for traders and vendors displaced during the construction of Maha Metro’s Mahatma Phule Mandai station, the Metro authority has decided to resettle them at their original location. The Maha Metro has announced that the construction of the pedestrian underpass connecting Mandai Metro Station to Kaka Halwai is nearing completion, paving the way for the long-awaited rehabilitation of affected traders.
The Shivajinagar-Swargate underpass metro route on the Pimpri Chinchwad-Swargate Metro line consists of five key stations: Shivajinagar, District Court, Kasba Peth, Mahatma Phule Mandai, and Swargate. Among these, the construction of Kasba Peth and Mahatma Phule Mandai stations posed the biggest challenges due to dense market areas and old structures. Special care was taken during the tunneling process in these zones to ensure safety and minimal disruption. While Kasba Peth has old residential buildings nearby, Mahatma Phule Mandai is surrounded by bustling markets and traders.
As part of the construction process, 152 small vendors, including those operating grocery, cutlery, and paan shops, were temporarily relocated by the Maha Metro. Some vendors were shifted to the Hutatma Babu Genu parking lot, while others were resettled behind the Kaka Halwai shop. Despite the operationalization of the Pimpri Chinchwad-Swargate metro line and its stations a few months ago, the pedestrian underpasses leading to the stations are still under construction.
Notably, work is underway on a pedestrian underpass connecting the road near the Tilak Statue in Mandai to the Tulshibaug road. The project, expected to take another eight to nine months, will prioritize the traders’ rehabilitation upon its completion. Plans for constructing shops for these displaced vendors are already in the pipeline.
Speaking about the development, Hemant Sonawane, Director and Public Relations Officer of Maha Metro, said, “The underpass leading to Mandai Metro Station will be completed in seven to eight months. The Municipal Corporation has all the necessary details about the vendors temporarily relocated during the construction. Once the work is complete, they will be shifted back to their original location. The construction of new shops for these traders will begin soon.”
Further, Sunil Ballal, Deputy Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Mandai Division, stated, “A total of 152 traders were temporarily relocated for the construction of Mandai Metro Station. Once the work is completed, these traders will be resettled permanently at their original site. Maha Metro has submitted the maps for the construction of new shops and sought feedback from the PMC. We are working to expedite the process to ensure timely rehabilitation.”
