To contain traffic chaos, PMC moves to relocate 8 statues

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has stepped forward to prepare a list of eight statues that it plans to shift on a priority basis from eight major chowks.

The list has been submitted by the civic administration to the committee set up in March to decide on relocation of statues hindering safe traffic movement. The committee is headed by the mayor and comprises political party leaders and the standing committee chairman.

Among the list of eight statues, those at four major junctions to be shifted include Kakasaheb Gadgil’s statue near Shaniwarwada, Vasantdada Patil’s statue located at Abhinav Art College Chowk, Maharshi Karve’s statue at Kothrudgaon and Kamgar Putala near Shivajinagar court, where the traffic density is quite high. During the general body meeting (GBM) held on March 19, the issue of the increasing number of accidents on city roads due to traffic congestion was raised by some corporators. They pressed for the shifting of statues causing bottlenecks on city roads.

It was immediately after school boy Atharva Dongare was killed in a ghastly accident on March 11 that the issue of relocation of statues in chowks was first discussed at length by angry corporators. Dongare was run over by a PMPML bus near the Kakasaheb Gadgil statue.

Additional City Engineer (Projects) Srinivas Bonala said, “The civic administration has identified eight statues on a priority basis for relocation and has submitted the list to Mayor Rajlaxmi Bhosale. Now, a further decision rests with the mayor and party leaders.” The mayor said, “We will soon hold a meeting on the issue. We will take a decision about shifting the statues after considering the suggestions made by the traffic department.”