The proposed construction of a road from Balbharati to Paud Phata has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in Pune. The 2.1 km-long road, initially proposed in the 2007 development plan of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), has faced opposition from environmentalists. They argue that the project would be detrimental to the city's greenery, particularly as it cuts through Vetal Tekdi, one of the last green bastions in the city.
Recently, after the polling for the Lok Sabha elections took place, an X (formerly Twitter) user tagged a couple of these environmentalists and claimed they "vote for Congress" and asserted that the Balbharati-Paud Phata Road must be constructed. "Enough of this entitled Pune 4 folks holding the city at ransom for their view (sic)," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, who has on many occasions opposed the construction of the road, slammed the X user. She commented, "There can be an academic debate on whether the road should be constructed or not. But to make such statements about 'Pune 4', who has always supported the BJP, would be showing ingratitude to them. These people have been electing only BJP candidates by forming long queues." "I think there are many intelligent experts in Pune who love the city. Rather than making accusations, there should be a discussion with them based on the issues," the former Kothrud MLA added.
The X user deleted his post after Kulkarni's comment.
Recently, the Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti (VTBKS), a collective of concerned citizens advocating for the preservation of the hilly terrain, released a 'Citizen Manifesto' ahead of the elections for the candidates. Halting the Balbharati-Paud Phata Road was their first demand. Later, candidates Murlidhar Mohol (BJP), Ravindra Dhangekar (Congress), and Vasant More (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi) met with the VTBKS members and promised to protect Vetal Tekdi.
