PMC demolishes Bhide Wada to build national memorial

One month after receiving court orders, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) carried out the demolition of the deteriorating structure known as Bhide Wada. This historic site holds significance as it is where social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule established the first school for girls in 1848. The demolition took place in the early hours of Tuesday.

The civic body plans to build a national memorial dedicated to the social reformer couple at the site, officials said. However, local people and traders had refused to vacate the place and moved court. Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court recently cleared the way for the PMC to build the national memorial at the site and ordered shop owners and tenants at the dilapidated structure to vacate the premises.

The structure is being brought down and we will proceed further for the national memorial project-related work at the site,” an official of the PMC said. As the civic body took steps to demolish the structure, a substantial police force was deployed in the area to ensure the operation proceeded smoothly. The demolition of the structure, which occurred sometime after midnight, was carried out in the presence of this heightened police presence.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Sandip Singh Gill explained that the PMC had not gained possession of the property despite issuing notices to the tenants and shop owners. Consequently, the civic body had formally requested police assistance to deploy personnel during the demolition process.