Development of the Poona City M }

Chapter II Development of the Poona City m } CHAPTER 2 . DEVELOPMENT OF THE POONA CITt : 2.1 INTRODUCTION It is necessary to study in brief the development of Poona city during the period 1969 to 1980, in order to know importance of ‘bicycle* as a means of local transport (conveyance) has increased. The impact of bicycle on the mobility of population in the Poona city cannot be studied without reference to developments in population, commerce, industry and other social, eco logical, topographical changes in and around the Poona city. After the Panshet Disaster of 19 61 Poona has emerged as the second largest industrial city 4^. Maharashtra. As a consequence of increasing urbani sation of the surrounding village and semi-urban areas many problems have been created. Such problems are e.g. 1) Problems created by migration of population, 2) Problem of heavy traffic along the important ; : ' roads in and around the Poona city, 3) Population congestion in the central part of the ■' Poona city, 4) Increased frequency of accidents, 5) Inadequancy of the present facility of local public passenger transport (viz. the PMT bus)- 6) Inavailability of parking facilities for the vehicles, and 7) The housing problem. These problems have necessitated new schem.es of roa<^ (32) maintenance and development and schemes for diverting heavy traffic from the central part of the city to the outskirts. New schemes of town planning in which separate routes and lanes should be provided for cycle-riders are necessary and new parking and marketing areas must also be earmarked. Against the background of these developments the role played by bicycle as the cheapest means of local conveyance can be logically evaluated. 2.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND s Under the British Rule, law and order was restored in Pune and administration was properly established, * . Poona became the seasonal capital of the Bombay Presidency. It was made the head-quarter of the Poona District and Poona Division. The British established Poona and Kirkee Cantonments near Poona. During this period of peace a number of educational institutions came up, roads were improved and railway lines were laid joining Poona with Bombay, Calcutta and Madras and the population of Poona rose to over 2 lakhs till 1941 as shown in the following table (33) Table 1 5 Table showing at a glance the expansion of Poona City since 1872 - Physical area ' • population and the boundary. Total Year area Population Boundary ___ (acres) 1872 1,912 90,436 Shankarshet Road to Ambil Odha to the south bound on the v^estern and north ern sides by Mutha on its right bank; on east from Wellesley Road to New Modikhana on Nagzari side. 1881 2,437 99,622 Area bound by Shankarshet Road, Satara Road and Gul Tekdi, Golibar Maidan included. 1890 4,058 1,02,683 Erandawana across Mutha, Bhamburda, Shivajinagar. 1931 4,644 1,63,267 Parwati Gaothan to Mouj^ Hingane boundary. 1935 4,708 1,63,346 Area near the foot of the Chaturshringi Hills. 1941 4,708 2,37,560 No change Feb. 10,240 4,00,000 Poona City plus Sub\irban 1950 (6,400 area city + (approxi.) 3,840 sxiburban) (Source % Poona Municipal Corporation - Annual .Administration Report for 1956-57) quoted by Dr. V. S. Patankar in his thesis for Ph.D. - 'Passenger and Goods Transport Business in Poona - (Dec. 1961) . i m 2.3 POPULATION TRENDS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE POONA CITY AFTER 1950 s Irt 1730 the population of the Poona City was only 15,000. Under the British Regime in 1818 the population increased to 1,25,000 as the two areas on the banks of Mutha were joined by Lakdi Bridge (Sambhaji Bridge). In 1851 the population declined a little to 73,000, In 1857 the Municipal Corporation was established and in 1860 population was 84,000, In 1869 the Khafakwasla Dam was constructed to increase the water supply. As a result in 187 2 population increased to 90« 436, . In 1881 it increased to 99,622 and in 1884 when Municipal Corpo ration was established for development of (Bhamburda) Shivaji Nagar Complex and when in 1885 Fergusson College and Mundhwa Paper Mill were established in 1885 and . when Poona Miraj meter-gauge railway route was constructed population fig\ire remained constant. During the plague epidemic from 1884 to 19 20 importance of Poona declinedi However, importance of Poona increased later because of^ the following developments - 1) Poona emerged as a capital city of Bombay Province. (1 LAKH) 2) It emerged as a centre for military strategies. 3) Educational facilities were created. 4) Provision of adequate water supply. 5) Moderate and healthy climate. 6) Availability of civic amenities. (35) After 1930 Erandawana and Shivaji Nagar areas developed and Poona became a permanent place of settlement after retirement. In 1941 population went upto 3,76,000, During the period from 1939 to 1946; (the war period) following developments took place in the surrounding areas like 1) Wanawadi 2) Khadakwasla 3) Dehuroad - Kirkee Ammunition factories and 4) Talegaon Dabhade offices. Prom 1947 - establishment of Kirloskar Oil Engines provided impetus to industrial development. In 1950 Poona Municipal Corporation was established. During the period 19 47-50 because of the influx of refugees and establishment of Poona Municipal Corporation the population recorded an increase of 74% over that in 1946. The present state of industrial development is such that out of 9,233 and 33,942 factories (large small and medium) 6,000 big factories and 17,943 small factories are established in and around Poona and 60% of the total labour force in Bombay (9,13,000 workers)got settled in Poona. In order to avoid concentration of industries in (36) Bombay the Government adopted the policy of diverting industrial development to Poona along Bombay-Poona Road. Availability of electricity, means of communication, favourable climate, establishment of Engineering Colleges and Technological Institutes, M.I.D.C., and development of Roads along Pimpri, Chinchwad, Nasik, Hadapsar, Sholapur, Akxirdi, Bhosari, Nigadi, Loni-Kalbhor - all these factors made Poona the second largest industrial city in Maharashtra. , According to the estimates prepared by the Regional Planning Board, in 1967, 668 big and small industries occupied 749 hectors of land and employed 53,605 workers. The reconstruction of Poona-Bombay, Nasik, Agra, Sholapur, Satara and Kolhapur high-ways as per the targets of the 4th Five Year Plan increased the tempo of industrialisation. In the future years to come, it was expected that the suburban areas like Wagholi, Loni-Kalbhor, Theur, Mundhwa, Uralikanchan, would be the new industrial centres around Pune City and the present trends have justified the forecast, 2.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF DEVELOPMENTS AFTER 19 50 ; After Independence Poona University was established. Also the Poona Municipal Corporation and a number of Central Government institutions were established and (37) industries came up around Poona. The dawn of industriali sation came over Poona in the second quarter of the twentieth century i.e. after 1950. Since 1950 many- industrial establishments developed and many sxiburbs grew up around the town and the population rose to over nine lakhs. A study of statistical information in Tables ( 2 to 7) indicates that the density of population in the Poona City is not uniform. It varied considerably from the core onwards. The core accounts for only 5% of the area and 75% of population. Whereas the rest of the wards with about 95% area account only for 2 5% of the population. The high density of the old core was the result of : ia) nearness to retail trading area, b) availability of cheap accomodation. p ) availability of amenities of life. m defence and security. (36) Table 2 : Showing the number of voters in Poona city and in s\±>urban areas (Haveli) for 1970-71 Constituence Number of Voters Kasba Peth 67/72 3 Bhavani Peth 1,07,447 Shukrawar Peth 1,13,311 Shivaj inagar 1,00,551 Poona Cantonment 87,301 Haveli (Suburb) 1,31,011 TOTAL 6,07,354 (39) Table 3 ; Showing the extent of migration in Poona City according to the place of B i rth. Persons - Migrated 1) Within the Poona District 80,000 2) Outside the district but within the State 1,30,000 3) Outside the State 67,000 4) Pakistan 9,000 5) Other places 23,000 Total persons Migrated 3,09,000 (40) Table 4 ; Showing the various forecast estimate of population in the Poona City including contonment of Poona and Kirkee and the - spread o f the urban area for the period of 1961-1991. Year Poona City including Rest of the urban area contonment of Poona (including Bhosari, and Kirkee Dapodi, Chinchwad, Pimpri and Lohogon) 1961 1,219 423 1966 8,235 516 / 1971 9,364 584 1976 10,578 699 1981 11,972 789 1986 13,456 926 1991 15,120 1098 (41) Table 5 : Showing the working population occupationwise in Poona. Other urban areas and in the , normal areas of the Region1 during 1961. ‘ '■> _ _ _ _ _ Occupational Working population pattern Rural Population Urban areas areas Agriculture, Mining and Quarrying , 7,400 2, 200 58,100 Construction 58,900 4,900 10,100 Trade & Commerce 33,900 1, 100 1,600 8, 300 800 2,400 Transport and Communication 22,600 600 800 Other Services 87,900 5,200 . 5,300 2,19,000 14,800 78,300 * (Poona including Poona and Kirkee and Contonment) (42) Table 6 i Showing the number of factories and factory workers in the Poona region in various groups of Industrial Centres, Group of CentresNo.of Factories N9.of Factory Workers along ^1956 1961 1963 1956 1961 1963 Poona 343 437 575 15785 21060 26085 Dapodi-Chinchwad 8 26 45 964 3341 6666 Poona-Ahmadnagar - - - - ~ - Poona-Solapur 24 47 34 379 2848 2380 Poona-Bangalore r- - - - - Other Scattered Centres 1 8 13 89 138 467 Statistics published in Gadgil Committee's Report for Bombay and Poona regions 1970.

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