The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is gearing up to initiate land acquisition for its inner ring road project, starting with the valuation process for the first phase. This phase involves a 4.7 km stretch from Solu to Vadgaon Shinde, with a budget allocation of Rs 1.13 billion for land acquisition. According to Ashok Bhalkar, Chief Engineer at PMRDA, approximately Rs 350 million, representing 30% of the total allocation, will be deposited with the district collector's office to facilitate land acquisition for this phase. The overall project, which spans 83 km, is estimated to cost around Rs 142 billion. The district collector's office has completed a joint survey and will now proceed with the valuation for the initial phase. Local villagers have agreed to relinquish their land for the project, which aims to alleviate congestion on Nagar Road. The detailed project report (DPR) has undergone third-party scrutiny by the College of Engineering Pune (CoEP), and the plan is set for execution. The second phase of the ring road, which will require the acquisition of approximately 720 hectares of land, will extend from Nagar Road to Satara Road. PMRDA has already submitted a land acquisition proposal for this segment to the Pune collector's office. (TOI)