Pune: A huge relief has come to residents living in the vicinity of the proposed Talegaon Dabhade-Uruli Kanchan Railway line, as Shirur MP Dr Amol Kolhe from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) met with
Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday. The proposed development plan for the railway line -- which has been heavily pushed by the Maharashtra State Government-- has faced significant resistance from over 15 villages in the Maval, Khed, and Haveli tehsils of the district. Residents have asked the administration to make the required changes in the DP and then proceed with the plan.
The initial proposal for this railway route, often referred to as the Pune Railway Bypass, was first made in November 2019 by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The goal was to connect major business and industrial hubs like Talegaon Dabhade, Chakan, and Uruli Kanchan, while also providing a link to the proposed Purandar International Airport. It was also designed with the purpose of bypassing the heavily congested Pune Railway Station, allowing freight traffic to move around the city rather than through it.
The proposed 78.14 km route (sometimes cited as 80.51 km in recent 2024–2025 reports) is planned to include 9 new stations, including New Talegaon, Warale, Sant Tukaram Maharaj (Dehu), Kuruli, Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj (Alandi), Wagholi, Kolwadi, Kunjirwadi Cabin, and Uruli Bypass. Kuruli was the nearest station to Chakan MIDC; however, the distance remained significant, as the two locations are more than 6 km apart.
Why Are Villagers & Farmers Protesting?
From the beginning, the project has faced stern opposition from local Action Committees. The primary reasons include:
1) Cumulative Land Loss: Many of these villages are already losing land to the Pune Ring Road, MIDC industrial zones, and gas/petrol pipelines. Farmers argue they have very little ‘ancestral land’ left to sustain their livelihoods.
2) Residential Impact: In areas like Dehu and Kuruli, the proposed track cuts through newly developed residential zones and warehouses. Residents claim the initial surveys showed "open land" that is now actually occupied by homes and businesses. Kuruli villagers argue that the railway line can go a bit farther, as the current plan doesn't even connect Chakan neatly.
3) Environmental & Religious Concerns: Protesters in the Dehu/Alandi belt -- which is the Warkari heartland -- are concerned about the impact on the sanctity of these pilgrimage towns and the vibration damage to local structures.
4) The GMRT Conflict: A significant technical hurdle arose near Khodad, where the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope's (GMRT) sensitive equipment could be affected by railway vibrations. This has forced the railway to look at alternative alignments 12–15 km away, causing further uncertainty for new sets of villages.
MP Amole Kolhe’s Meeting With The Railway Minister
Speaking about the meeting on X (formerly Twitter), Dr Amol Kolhe said, “Today in Delhi, I once again met with the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and submitted a memorandum presenting the intense sentiments of local farmers and sons of the soil regarding the proposed Talegaon to Uruli Kanchan railway line. This route is not merely a line on a map; it puts at stake the fertile land cultivated over generations and the very existence of our farmers.
Dr Kolhe added, “I have placed a demand before the Railway Minister to either cancel this route or choose a technically viable alternative path that minimises land acquisition. If a change is made to this proposed Talegaon to Uruli Kanchan railway line, it will provide massive relief to the villages of Dehu, Induri, Zende Mala, Sangurdi, Moi, Nighoje, Talawade, Chimbali, Dhanore, Charholi, Solu, and various villages in Haveli Tehsil. The Railway Minister has given a positive response to this sensitive issue.”
Residents and farmers of all the affected villages have expressed their gratitude to the Union Railway Minister and MP Dr Kolhe. Following a positive response from Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi -- who announced a re-survey of the plan and said the government is exploring ‘alternative planning’ to assess whether the track can run parallel to the existing Ring Road to minimise the division of farms and neighbourhoods -- villagers have begun to hope that their efforts will finally yield results.
