All five hill station projects in Mulshi-Maval under PMRDA

25/05/2017

PUNE: All five hill stations approved by the government in the Maval-Mulshi belt of Pune district will now come under the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) as part of the state's hill station policy.

This was clarified by PMRDA officials on Wednesday, a day after the government announced denotification of Lavasa Corporation's Special Planning Authority (SPA) status. Like Lavasa, the officials said, all other hill station projects in the belt will now come under the PMRDA.

"Only Lavasa was accorded the SPA status and it has been denotified. The other hill station projects like Aamby Valley city, Aqualand Infrastructure, Satind Infrastructure and Maharashtra Valley View hill stations, approved in the belt will come under the PMRDA," said Kiran Gitte, chief of the PMRDA.

The PMRDA has been provided with details of these projects and it has to approve all development works in the belt. "We have the list of the approved hill station projects. The developers are yet to approach us for any building permission. I am told that these projects are awaiting some environment clearances before they get their master plan approved by us," Gitte said.

Aqualand representatives said they were awaiting environment clearances from the Centre before they submit the building plan to the PMRDA. The project, with a little over 1,000 acres, was approved by the urban development department in Mulshi Khurd and Varak for development.

The government had laid down 19 conditions, which included a no objection certificate from Tata Company for use of Mulshi dam water. "We have written to Tata for permission to use water and the building master plan is ready for approval from the PMRDA," Aqualand senior vice-president R P Tyagi said.

The hill station project comes under the catchment area of the dam and the state had sought a no objection certificate from the environment department about waste water and solid waste. The company is keen to start a research centre, education hub and tourism development in the area.

The other hill station projects, which now come under PMRDA, are also yet to start any project, the officials said. All these projects had faced stiff opposition from villagers and activists because of the water scarcity in the district. They argued that water to be supplied to the city was diverted because of the projects.