Popular public space turns into haven for anti-social elements

The ₹4,700-crore Riverfront Development (RFD) project on 44.4-km stretches along the banks of the Mula-Mutha river is no longer the vibrant space for recreation and relaxation, as portrayed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

- Nadeem Inamdar

Designed to make the riverfront a cultural and recreational landmark for citizens and tourists - with landscaped promenades, cycling tracks, open-air theatres, wellness zones, and gardens - some stretches of the riverfront, however, present a sorry picture, rather than a picturesque one.

These stretches, between Yerawada and Kalyaninagar, have turned into a haven for drug and alcohol dealers and users. Security lapses and absence of regular patrolling have turned these parts of the riverbed into unsafe zones, undermining the very goal of the project to create an inclusive and secure public space. Residents and civic activists say immediate, coordinated action is essential if the RFD is to live up to its promise.