Pune: Under fire for riverfront development project, the civic administration has proposed a “riverfront experience” in the civic budget for 2026-27 featuring Pune Sky Wheel, a multimedia river show, zipline, kayaking, a skywalk, a climbing wall and an adventure zone.Standing committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale on Tuesday said the project would be executed through a public-private partnership model and developed on the lines of ‘The London Eye’. Environmentalists, however, argued that the plan would accelerate concreting along riverbanks, encourage encroachments and fuel illegal hawking, instead of addressing the core issue of river pollution. “The administration is focusing on beautification instead of tackling river pollution,” Shailaja Deshpande of Jiveet Nadi, an organisation working on river conservation, said.Bhimale said the budget also prioritised strengthening Pune’s cultural identity by preserving heritage structures and expanding tourism-related infrastructure. Key proposals include Shivsrushti, Bharat Mandapam, a Heritage Corridor and several memorials. “State govt has approved Shivsrushti, a large-scale exhibition on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life, to be developed on 50 acres in Chandni Chowk. A Bharat Mandapam, inspired by the New Delhi facility, is planned at Lohegaon for conventions and exhibitions,” he said.The budget has proposed constructing city entry gates, named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, featuring themed lighting, landscaping and cultural motifs. Redevelopment of the Balgandharva Rangmandir, the establishment of the Pune Kala Academy in Baner-Balewadi and an international-standard library in Kothrud are also planned.Efforts are also underway to position Pune as the “Capital of Books”. Funding has been set aside for memorials dedicated to Mahatma Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule at Bhidewada, Lahuji Vastad Salve at Sangamwadi, and for preserving sites linked to freedom fighters and social reformers. A heritage corridor will be created in central Pune to offer pedestrian-friendly pathways connecting historical landmarks from Shaniwarwada to Mandai.
