The compound wall of the Pune International Airport in Lohgaon was adjusted at a section of the road due to the presence of an allegedly unauthorised mazar.
The pictures show the compound wall running parallel to the road until a mazar comes up, where the wall bends inwards to accommodate the Muslim structure.
A complaint was lodged with the office of Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation of India, to act to remove the encroachment that the complainant asserts often causes traffic congestion on that stretch of the road because of the existence of the unauthorised structure that the complainant said didn’t previously exist.
“A daily commuter has appraised the Minister’s officer about the emergence of what he says is an unauthorised mazar on the road close to the Pune International Airport,” a source privy to the matter told OpIndia.
The situation raises concerns about the unchecked proliferation of such structures and the challenges faced by civic authorities in maintaining law and order while handling religious sentiments. Despite regulations against unauthorized religious structures on public or restricted land, such illegal mazars keep springing up now and then, sparking widespread concern.
In Pune, officials had to modify the airport’s boundary wall to adjust for the shrine, highlighting the difficulties in enforcing urban planning laws when faced with spontaneous religious encroachments. The case is an example of how unauthorised religious sites can influence public infrastructure, often leading to long-term administrative dilemmas.
