PCMC Demolition Drive In Chikhali, Kudalwadi Leads To ₹7,600 Crore Loss And 2.5 Lakh Unemployed Workers

Days after Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in a major demolition drive razed encroachments in Kudalwadi, Jadhavwadi, and Chikhali, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Scale Industrial Association has claimed that the demolition led to an estimated loss of ₹7,600 crore for industrialists, leaving approximately 2.5 lakh workers unemployed.

While speaking to HT, a scrap shop owner said, “Our livelihoods have been destroyed overnight. We have been running our businesses here for the last 15 years, and now we are left with nothing.”

Action by PCMC

The Municipal Corporation recently undertook a significant operation to remove unauthorized scrap dealers, illegal businesses, and encroachments that were contributing to the pollution of the Indrayani River. Between February 8 and February 17, 2025, the municipal authorities successfully removed 4,111 encroachments, clearing a total area of approximately 827 acres (3.60 crore square feet). This effort has resulted in 100 acres of Municipal Corporation’s roads and reserved areas being freed from encroachments.

The action was undertaken to address multiple issues, including pollution of the Indrayani River, air and noise pollution, and the rise of illegal businesses, crime, and fire incidents in the region. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has expressed his support for the Municipal Corporation and Police administration in this effort.

Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge, who backed the action, said that despite the success of the operation, it has come at a cost for some small entrepreneurs and residents.

Landge, while backing the operation, has also expressed concern for these affected individuals. He stated that he will work to seek redress from both the Municipal administration and the state government for those who have been impacted by the action.