PCMC is just better than PMC at its job
I live in the Baner area and have also lived in various other parts of Pune such as Hinjewadi, Viman Nagar, etc. over the last ~10 years.
One thing I’ve consistently noticed is that areas under PCMC are far better maintained and developed compared to most areas under PMC, to the point where I genuinely feel jealous of some of my friends living there.
A few things that stand out in PCMC areas:
- Roads are significantly better and mostly concretized
- Streets are actually walkable, with decent footpaths and cycle lanes
- Good green cover alongside roads
- Minimal road encroachment
- No overhead cable mess
- Far less garbage on the streets
Whenever I go to areas like Wakad or Pimpri-Chinchwad, it feels like a proper, functional city. In comparison, Baner and several other PMC areas look like dogs***.
The other day I tried walking from Baner Chowk to Pancard Club Road and it was horrible:
- Weeds growing unchecked
- Broken footpaths covered in spit
- Public benches occupied all day (mostly by Bangladeshi immigrants, from what I could infer)
What I genuinely don’t understand is this:
If PMC and PCMC are sister municipal bodies, why is there such a massive difference in quality of infrastructure and maintenance?
Is it because of:
- Better bureaucrats?
- Less corruption?
- Better planning?
- Or is PMC simply poor af?
Also, how does one even raise this issue effectively?
Is there any meaningful way to lodge complaints or organize local protests that actually lead to action?
To be honest, I’m not very confident anything will change through official channels. At times I genuinely feel like cleaning the footpaths myself.
Are there any active community groups around Baner that work on cleanliness, walkability, or civic improvement initiatives?