According the PMC figures, out of the estimated 35-lakh people in the city, there are nearly 14 lakh slum-dwellers. This means, there are about 93,000 slum-dwellers living in one sq km of slum land across 15 sq km.

“Not all people living in slums do so willingly. We need to create options for these people. Many migrants need a place to sleep and a locker to keep their belongings. But city has no such facility,” says Pratima Joshi, director and founder member of Shelter Associates, a city-based NGO working for urban poor. And as encroachments continue to mushroom under political patronage, PMC administration is under pressure not to act against this ill plaguing he city.

“It is becoming difficult to act against encroachments as political pressure is immense whenever the administration has decided to act against illegal structures,” admits a senior PMC officer. “Growing slums in the city is cause for concern but all efforts of incumbent municipal commissioners to eradicate slums has been opposed strongly by politicians from one party or the other,” he said.

With the PMC unable to develop reservations earmarked in the 1987 Development Plan (DP), many of the places are encroached upon. Of the 525 reservations spread over 770 hectares earmarked for various amenities, till date the PMC has developed only 150 reservations on 309 hectares. In other words only 35 per cent of the total reservations have been developed. Most of the land hitherto not acquired by the PMC is either encroached upon or there are land acquisition cases pending in the court against them.

Of late, religious structures erected in public places are also proving to be a thorn in the flesh for the administration. As religious sentiments are getting aroused, the PMC is facing the daunting task of razing 14 religious structures on 12 arterial roads that are leading to major traffic blocks during peak hours.

The encroachments have come up in the Ramnadi and a few nallas of the city and even after much debate the municipal administration was unable to demolish them on account of political pressure. Similarly, a recent drive to evict illegal hawkers was stopped following opposition by most political parties.

“One can’t blame politicians for the overall situation. The municipal administration has to be blamed for messing up with the city’s development,” says BJP corporator Ujwal Keskar. He however admits that the city has been lacking good political leadership over the past 10-15 years. “ Also, the planners are to be blamed as they failed to envisage the growth of Pune,” he adds.