Trust, villagers oppose tunnel under sacred Bhandara Hill for ring road

Pune: The Shri Vitthal-Rukhmai Bhandara Dongar Trust and a group of villagers have opposed the land acquisition for constructing a 700m tunnel through Bhandara hill in the proposed 103km Eastern Ring Road project.
The trust submitted a memorandum to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is acquiring the land, last week.
The group said the project will disturb the sanctity of the hill which is connected to the life and literature of Sant Tukaram Maharaj.
“It will hurt the sentiments of the Warkari sect across the state if the MSRDC goes ahead with it. We are not opposing the project and have conveyed our views to the MSRDC through the memorandum,” Balasaheb Kashid, president of the trust, said.
The hill, which is located on the Talegaon Dabhade-Chakan Road, is revered by the Warkaris. “We have suggested that the MSRDC makes changes to the road plan,” Kashid said.
The Eastern Ring Road, starting from Urse toll plaza on Pune-Mumbai expressway in Haveli tehsil, will merge with the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Purandar tehsil.
Sandeep Patil, executive engineer of the MSRDC, said, “We met the members of the trust and listened to their views. We are going to discuss it with the higher-ups.”
Patil said the state Public Work Department has already sanctioned the land acquisition for the project. “It will start in Maval tehsil in the next few weeks,” Patil added.