25,000 new properties in Pimpri-Chinchwad in last year; officials flag need to ensure drinking water, sustainable development

“These figures include properties newly constructed and registered and those the tax department had found not assessed for tax in the past. We have now started their assessment for tax. In 2021-22, many unregistered properties were registered and assessed for tax. Therefore, the figures in 2021-22 were higher,” officials said.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh said, “In the last two years, the PCMC has added over 50,000 new properties. This shows the rapid growth of the city.”

Deshmukh said property registration dipped only during the Covid period, “For instance, in 2020-21, 15,383 new properties were added in PCMC jurisdiction. However, in the last two years, the property registration has seen a 5 per cent growth.”

Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said, “The rate of property registration in the limits of PCMC is more than that in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Pimpri-Chinchwad has wide roads, less congested areas, gardens, playgrounds and other infrastructure facilities, which are finding favour with citizens from other parts of Pune and even beyond.”

The PCMC administration said with the city’s expansion, it faces several challenges, mainly related to drinking water and sustainable development. “These are the two big challenges before us. We will give top priority to them,” he said, adding that the administration’s focus would remain on augmenting water supply sources and providing better infrastructure.

The PCMC chief said the administration collects information from various pockets to understand their requirements and plans accordingly. “We are carrying out surveys from the property tax department to understand the requirement of every corner of the city so that it will help us plan better. Therefore, we request the citizens to help us in this task,” he said.

Kishore Shirke, who is in the construction business in Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, “Except for a few pockets where there is a problem of availability of land, construction business in Pimpri-Chinchwad is growing rapidly. It is concentrated on the borders of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Areas like Chikhli, Wadhmukwadi, Wakad, and Poonawale are all expanding rapidly,” he said.

Deshmukh said the tax department believes that 50,000 properties still need to be assessed. “There are three zones currently in place for property tax. We will soon have microzones to help better coordinate and ensure transparency. This will help the property tax department and other departments,” he said, adding that all property tax services have been made online.

PCMC wins award for cycling infrastructure

Meanwhile, the PCMC chief said on the occasion of World Bike Day on June 3, Pimpri-Chinchwad has been adjudged a winner by the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) along with nine other global cities. It will receive a funding of $4,00,000. “It is an honour for the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad. The BICI will help us build innovative cycling infrastructure and sustainable options. The BICI will help us design streets to promote cycling,” said the PCMC chief.

The nine other BICI winners are Fortaleza, Brazil — winner of a $1 million prize — and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bogota, Colombia; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Mombasa, Kenya; Quelimane, Mozambique; Tirana, Albania; and Wellington, New Zealand, each of which will receive $4,00,000 in funding.

“Pimpri-Chinchwad will receive technical assistance from Global Designing Cities Initiative on project development, cycling facility design, data collection, and resident engagement,” Singh said.

As the city grows, Singh said infrastructure like this would help ensure less congestion. “Promoting cycling will go a long way in reducing congestion in the city. If we start today, we will go a long way in making our city safe for travelling and at the same time promoting the health of our citizens,” he said.