The Shaky ‘Wadas’ Of Pune have become a Threat to its Occupants

• The wadas were built during the reign of the Maratha Empire
• These wadas have become an obstruction in the city's attempt to transform itself into a 'smart' city
• To move forward with their plans, the PMC has begun issuing notices in newspapers urging occupants to vacate these wadas

The iconic wadas of Pune, which once stood strong as the pillars of Pune's rich culture and heritage are in a perilous condition and have become a threat to its occupants.

History is deeply rooted in them. These structures were built during the reign of the Maratha Empire. The wada system established is known today as the peth area. Starting from Kasba peth, you walk down the roads to come across the other peths, Shaniwar, Shukrawar, Narayan, Budhwar, Sadashiv, and few others. Today, in most of these peth areas, the wadas have been brought down. In their place ,huge towers have been erected, said the Hindu report.

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With the city rapidly changing, these wadas have become an obstruction in the city's attempt to transform itself into a 'smart' city.

For the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the perils are more immediate; each year, the looming monsoon poses a threat to the structures.

"These structures are in a dangerous condition. So far, we have served notices to 120 of them asking occupants to evacuate so that we can demolish the structures," says Bipin Shinde, Deputy Engineer, PMC to The Hindu.

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But the occupants refuse to cooperate with the PMC. The poor conditions of the wadas do not disappoint them. They have lived for generations in these wadas and have a strong attachment to them. Nostalgia keeps them within these weak walls. The architecture is another factor that keeps them bound. The unique bhuyar (an underground escape route) present in the wadas are not to be found in the modern apartments, said The Hindu report.

To move forward with their plans, the PMC has begun issuing notices in newspapers urging occupants to vacate these wadas. They have also stated that the civic body will not be responsible if the citizens do not heed the notices.

-prepared by Ajay Krishna, an intern at NewsGram. Twitter: @ajkrish14

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