Pensha

 This is the second article that I wrote for www.citizenmatters.in  The lush slopes of the Vetal Tekadi in Pune that is a popular destination for the city's hikers and walkers. Pic courtesy: Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti The draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) turns the original 2006 EIA notification on its head. While the earlier notification had made environment impact assessment a precondition for any project to get started, the new draft allows industries to get started on their projects in violation of EIA norms and then seek clearance. And Pune’s green activists are adding their voice to the countrywide criticism of the new draft. Advertisement   Pune’s fight is against the Bal Bharati-Paud Phata link road that cuts through the Law College hill. The justification given by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is that this 2.1 km link road will help in decongesting Law College Road (and Senapati Bapat Road, Ganeshkhind Road) . But the citizens’ group which ha...

 I had written this article for Citizen Matters website. Read on... Rajeev Khandekar at the back with his young and old cyclist friends. Pic: Rajeev Khandekar It’s called Mission Begin Again, Maharashtra’s plans to slowly remove lockdown restrictions and get life back to a new kind of normal. And one directive issued under this Mission, which came into effect from June 3 rd , has brought cheer to Pune’s burgeoning cycling community. Advertisement   Phase I of the Mission lists the outdoor physical activities that citizens can engage in, amongst which cycling features prominently. “People are actively encouraged to use cycling as a form of physical exercise as it automatically ensures social distancing,” reads the directive issued by the state’s department of Revenue and Forest, Disaster Management and Relief and Rehabilitation. The regular hub of Pune cyclists, the ‘Necklace route’ — covering the area from Savitribai Phule Pune University Road-Pashan lake-Chandni Chowk top — c...