How Municipal Neglect is Destroying India’s CitiesMany Indian cities like Pune and Mumbai face a perfect storm - weak municipal governance, half-implemented master plans, and an unchecked real-estate boomTuesday July 22, 2025 4:34 PM , Akash PharandeMany Indian cities like Pune and Mumbai face a perfect storm - weak municipal governance, half-implemented master plans, and an unchecked real-estate boom. These forces hollow out civic infrastructure, create chronic shortages of water, green spaces, and affordable housing. Pune Master Plan MeltdownPune’s 1987 Development Plan (DP) set aside 609 land reservations for schools, hospitals, parks, roads, and other civic amenities. Twenty-five years later, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had developed only 134 barely 22% - while 22 sites were de-reserved altogether. New suburbs added in 2017 still await statutory plans, leaving 45 fringe villages to grow with no formal infrastructure pipeline.