MARCH 3: The proposed Mutha river bed road would desecrate the city's only unpolluted air-giving corridor, a group of city environmentalists said in a letter to the municipal commissioner, opposing the idea of turning part of the river bed into an arterial road.Pune's river system is hardly one per cent of the city's total land area of 380 square kilometer. Picking this up to make a road would be a myopic step, said environmental economist and chairman of Econet Dr Vijay Paranjpye, hydrogeologist Dr M A Ghare, Parisar activist Sujit Patwardhan and architect Prasanna Desai.Contradicting the notion that more roads would help reduce the traffic congestion or the pollution, the activists have expressed fear of more roads leading to more vehicles, multiplying the pollution levels. The letter maintains that Pune's air pollution levels were one-and-a-half times higher than what is considered safe.Tampering with the river system could cost Punekars dearer in the future, the environmentalists said adding that the decision to construct the river bed road would expose the citizens to long term costs and damages if they choose the cheaper of the options available at present. The extent of such damages were still not known. This would mean that a potential large scale aggravated problem was being prepared for generations to come, they added.In-depth studies, involving experts from the Central Water and Power Research Station and Central Institute of Road Transport, be carried out before embarking on such a potentially hazardous development, they suggested.
