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Corporators want school playgrounds in Peth areas to get sports facilities

Pune, April 15: Concerned about the rapidly dwindling space for sporting activities in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to develop 19 open grounds at various locations in the fringe areas as sports facilities with special coaching facilities for children and youth in kabaddi, kho kho, football and hockey.

Outgoing municipal commissioner Nitin Kareer said, “The issue was discussed at a recent meeting with officials of the state’s sports directorate attended by PMC’s garden superintendent Yashwant Khaire.”

The details are being worked out but a primary plan for having coaches and developing grounds at Hadapsar, Bopodi, Sahakarnagar, Ghorpadi, Wanavdi, and other fringe areas has been cleared. “These ground will be owned by the PMC and will not be leased out to any private organisations, “ said Kareer.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that certain existing sports grounds had been reserved for specific sports activities causing restricted entry, Kareer said the 19 sports facilities, though reserved for certain sports, will be kept open to all, citizens and especially children, after the prescribed hours for dedicated sports activities.

He said besides these 19 locations, the 4.5 km-long river channel too can be converted into open sports grounds with proper planning. These can be kept open to all, he said.

Meanwhile, former corporator Popat Taware has written to Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar that the issue of playgrounds in downtown Pune will have to be addressed as the PMC plans involves developing sports facilities mostly in the suburbs.

“It has been observed that many open spaces have been encroached upon and the municipal administration needs to take steps to vacate the encroachers. The PMC could utilise its funds to develop sports facilities at various school playgrounds,” Taware has suggested.

Sitting corporator Bandu Kemse too demanded immediate action against the illegal encroachments on sports grounds in the Peth areas. Seeking attention to the restrictions imposed by a private party on entry of citizens to an open ground in his ward (Bhusari Colony), Kemse said the PMC should remove the illegal board immediately.

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