Latest news with #Pimpri-ChinchwadMunicipalCorporation
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Science
- Indian Express
PCMC chief calls for use of AI, digital literacy in schools
Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Commissioner Shekhar Singh on Wednesday said that civic schools must 'raise the bar' and introduce students to artificial intelligence (AI). Singh was speaking at a city-wide dialogue session with principals and teachers, organised by PCMC's Education Department at Ramkrishna More Auditorium, Chinchwad. The session saw participation from school heads, teachers, education department officials, and representatives from partner organisations such as ZEP Foundation. 'While the achievements of our students in the past academic year are commendable and a matter of pride for all of us, we must now raise the bar. It is time to actively plan for stronger outcomes in competitive exams and ensure our students are future-ready,' the civic commissioner said. He added that PCMC schools have seen remarkable progress through the use of technology in education, and the next step would be to introduce students to artificial intelligence (AI) and digital literacy. Referring to initiatives like Spandan, QCI assessment, and Bharat Darshan, Singh highlighted how such programmes have contributed positively to student learning outcomes and holistic growth. 'We are committed not just to academic excellence but to nurturing well-rounded individuals. Through school-based activities, our aim is to build character and life skills among students. All teachers and principals must ensure 100% implementation of educational initiatives in the current academic year,' Singh emphasised. Additional Commissioner Pradip Jambhale Patil also addressed the gathering, urging all schools to work towards a 100 per pass rate in the SSC board exams this year. He assured full support from the municipal corporation, including timely provision of sports teachers, skill training materials, and resolution of any resource gaps. As a mark of recognition, PCMC felicitated 28 students from its schools who scored above 90% in the 2024-25 Class 10 exams. Each student received a cash award of Rs 1 lakh from Commissioner Singh and Additional Commissioner Jambhale Patil. Highlights of the conclave: Launch of computer literacy curriculum Presentation of QCI evaluation results 2025–26 Academic year planning Introduction to revised Saksham Project framework
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
PCMC to conduct structural audit of 17 bridges and flyovers that are 20 years old
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is planning to conduct a structural audit of 17 bridges and flyovers that are 20 years old, in the wake of the Kund Mala bridge collapse in Pune district's Maval taluka last month and following directives from the Maharashtra Government. Makrand Nikam, City Engineer, PCMC, said, 'Pimpri-Chinchwad has in all 46 overbridges and flyovers located on railway tracks, rivers, junctions, and highways. Of these 46, 17 are more than 20 years old, while 29 are less than 20 years old. We are going to conduct a structural audit of these 17 bridges and flyovers.' According to officials, the PCMC constructed the industrial city's first flyover, the Mayor Madhurkar Pawale flyover at Nigdi, in 2004. The oldest bridge in Pimpri-Chinchwad is the Harris Bridge in Dapodi, constructed in 1895, during British rule. The Pune Municipal Corporation built a parallel bridge in 1987, when Pimpri-Chinchwad was under that civic body. Dapodi came under the PCMC in 1996, and the civic body constructed another parallel bridge in 2019. The Indira Gandhi flyover in Pimpri was constructed in 1983 and the bridge in Chinchwad in 1978. 'The structural audit of Pimpri, Chinchwad, and Dapodi bridges has already been done,' an official said. Makrand Nikam said the civic body would appoint a contractor to conduct the structural audit. 'We have informed the district collectorate about the process of structural audit we are starting,' an official said. The PCMC administration also said they had launched a survey of the bridges and flyovers located across the industrial area in the wake of the Kund Mala bridge collapse. 'This was done as per the directives of the government,' the official said.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
PCMC inspects over 5.4 lakh homes to tackle Dengue and Malaria spread
With the ongoing monsoon, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Monday said it intensified its efforts to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria. In a large-scale campaign spanning across all eight zones, the civic body has inspected over 5.43 lakh homes and nearly 29 lakh water containers in search of mosquito breeding sites. The drive also covered more than 1,200 scrap yards and over 1,600 construction sites. So far, breeding-friendly conditions were found in the surroundings of 9,680 houses and in over 10,548 water containers. Notices have been issued at 3,431 locations, and penalties have been imposed on 624 households and commercial establishments resulting in the collection of Rs 22.24 lakh in fines, health officials said. Under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh, Additional Commissioner Vijaykumar Khorate, and Deputy Commissioner Sachin Pawar, the PCMC health department has adopted a multipronged strategy. This includes not only identifying and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds but also increasing public awareness and taking punitive action wherever necessary, the civic administration said. The campaign involves regular insecticide spraying, household visits by health workers, and the distribution of information pamphlets. In addition, the corporation is running awareness programs in schools and conducting cleanliness drives in public spaces and high-risk areas, officials said. The civic body has appealed to residents to actively support the campaign by keeping their surroundings clean, especially during the rainy season. Citizens are advised to clean water storage containers every week, keep them covered at all times, and observe one 'dry day' each week to prevent mosquito breeding. Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said, 'PCMC is adopting a comprehensive approach to combat dengue and malaria—through larval source elimination, rigorous inspections, and strong awareness campaigns. We urge citizens to actively participate by keeping their surroundings clean and supporting this city-wide effort.' Deputy Commissioner Sachin Pawar added, 'We are reviewing the ward-wise implementation of all anti-mosquito measures. Public support is crucial—every household must observe one dry day each week to prevent mosquito breeding.'
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
50,000 suggestions, objections pour in for PCMC's draft DP
Even as the process of receiving suggestions and objections to the draft Development Plan of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation ended on Monday, it has emerged that there is 'hope' for aggrieved citizens as the civic administration reserves the right to accept or reject their views. By July 14, around 50,000 suggestions and objections were collectively received by the Town Planning Department and the Development Plan Unit of the state government. 'We have received 49,570 suggestions and objections directly from citizens. We feel there are 400-500 suggestions and objections which have come online. So the figure could go up well beyond 50,000,' said a civic official. 'Most of the 50,000 submissions include objections by the citizens, activists and politicians to the reservations made by the DP Unit of the state government,' he added. Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said, 'Now that the suggestions and objections have been received, the state government will appoint a planning committee through the director of town planning. The objections and suggestions will be placed before the Planning Committee….The committee will take the final decision and intimate it to the citizens. The decisions are then placed before the general body of the civic administration. The general body then takes decision on the objections and changes suggested by the planning committee…' The municipal commissioner said the general body has the right to accept or reject the changes or decisions taken by the planning committee. 'The general body has the final powers…After the general body takes the decision, it will go for approval before the state government,' the PCMC chief said. Civic officials said currently, the general body is headed by the municipal commissioner. When asked about this, the PCMC chief said, 'GB will take the final decision…,' while refusing to comment further. Officials said if the hearing is completed by the planning committee before the ensuing civic elections or before the Model Code of Conduct for civic polls comes into effect, the PCMC will get the opportunity to take a call on the planning committee decisions. 'If the process is not completed before the civic elections, then the new general body, which will have elected corporators, will take the final call,' officials said. For last two months, citizens in Pimpri-Chinchwad have been protesting against the draft DP as it threatens to bring down their homes constructed years ago. The reservations in the draft DP have drawn severe criticism from political leaders, activists and citizens. The reservations made by the DP Unit drew flak even from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said under no circumstances will a slaughterhouse come up near the temple town of Alandi. A reservation for this facility has been made in the PCMC's draft development plan. Several other reservations like the plan for a bus depot and other facilities near Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue in Pimpri also drew criticism. Over 5,000 residents in Wakad, Thergaon and nearby areas have also protested the plan for a ring road which was to pass through their society premises. The 'wrong marking' of the floodline near the rivers also was debunked by activists. Seema Sawale, former chairperson of the PCMC's standing committee, who first raised the objections regarding the DP reservations for a slaughterhouse near Alandi, told The Indian Express, 'The draft DP is in favour of the rich and is against the poor and the middle-class. We hope the CM will scrap it and take action against those who made objectionable reservations.' The PCMC has been contending that it's role was limited to making suggestions and conveying the needs of the city to the DP unit. 'The municipal commissioner or the civic administration is not involved where individual reservations are concerned. That is the prerogative of the DP Unit. The municipal commissioner's responsbility is to ensure the needs of the city are properly reflected in the development plan and are conveyed to the DP Unit,' said a civic official. After the slaughterhouse reservation came to light, the PCMC had to clarify that it had suggested to the DP unit to make reservation for a slaughterhouse but not near Alandi. 'The decision for reserving the plot of land for slaughterhouse near Alandi was taken by the DP Unit itself apparently after their own surveys,' said a PCMC official. When asked whether the DP Unit had interacted with them before making reservations in the draft DP, Prasad Gaikwad, Deputy Director of Town Planning, said, 'We were not consulted neither informed about it. The DP Unit took the decisions after their own surveys…' On Tuesday, despite repeated calls, chief of the DP Unit Anupama Kulkarni did not respond. Earlier, she had said the reservations in the draft DP were not final. 'There is a long process involved in preparing the final DP,' she had said.
Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
37,500 objections and counting: Complaints against PCMC draft DP pour in as citizens and politicians want it scrapped
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has received more than 37,500 suggestions and objections to its draft development plan (DP), which was released in May, including concerns expressed by politicians. 'We have received more than 35,000 suggestions and objections to the draft DP…and the state government DP unit has received 2,500 objections and suggestions,' an official from the town planning department said. The last date for filing the suggestions and objections is July 14. From citizens taking out protests, demanding that it be scrapped, to MLAs and MLCs raising concerns about reservation or allocation of land for specific public purposes, the draft DP has triggered unrest across the industrial city. MP Shrirang Barne has demanded the cancellation of the draft DP. 'I met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently and urged him to cancel the draft DP as it has several wrong reservations. I pointed out to him how citizens are agitated,' he said. Barne said that Fadnavis has promised to act on his demand. 'He told me, let the suggestions and objections come in. He said that when the draft DP comes to the state government for approval, the government will take an appropriate decision,' he added. Barne said he has also filed a few objections to the draft DP. 'Like several citizens, I too found that the DP unit has made several incorrect and highly objectionable reservations,' he said. BJP MLA Mahesh Landge and MLCs Amit Gorkhe and Uma Khapre have criticised the reservation for a slaughterhouse in Moshi, which was close to the temple town of Alandi, saying it 'is highly objectionable'. Landge pointed out that even temple trust lands have come under the ambit of reservation in his constituency. 'The DP is full of objectionable reservations. In Moshi, temple land has been brought under the purview of the reservation,' he said. Seema Sawale, former chairperson of the PCMC standing committee, filed 134-page objections to the draft DP on Friday. Speaking to The Indian Express on Saturday, she said, 'The draft DP is the most shocking piece of document ever prepared in the history of Pimpri-Chinchwad. It should be scrapped. The DP unit has made reservations where it should not have. And where reservation was required, it has turned a blind eye.' Sawale alleged the draft DP favours the affluent, including the builders. 'The draft DP has removed reservations from hilltops and hill slopes, which is a clear indication that the civic body wants to hand over land to builders,' she alleged. Sawale also highlighted concerns regarding the floodline marked in the DP draft. 'The floodline favours builders and does injustice to farmers who are set to lose their land if the DP reservations are implemented. The floodline is not based on the one marked by the irrigation department,' she said. Sawale said the entire Bhosari-Dighi red zone, where construction is not permitted, is shown as a green belt in the draft DP. 'The Rupeenagar-Talawade red zone has 46 reservations. No constructions are permitted in red zones. The draft DP shows the area as a yellow belt with 46 reservations,' she said. Civic activist Avinash Chilekar flagged the reservation of 175 acres in Jadhavwadi-Kudalwadi for a convention centre. 'There is no need for a convention centre in Jadhavwadi. This is because a 250-acre convention centre has already been set up in the Moshi area. Close to it, there is a Bhosari district centre on 100 acres. There is another space for a 50-acre convention centre in Moshi. If there are three convention centres, why do we need one more?' Chilekar also questioned the reservation for a High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR). 'HCMTR reservation will lead to the demolition of 5,000 houses in Thergaon, Kalewadi, Rahatni, Chinchwad Nagar and Bijlinagar. This reservation was there in the old DP of 1995, but the PCMC failed to implement it. Now, three decades later, it has made the same reservation again,' he said.
