The Balbharati-Paud Phata road project in Pune, a 2.1 to 2.3 km stretch connecting Balbharati to Paud Phata via Bhandarkar Institute and Vetal Tekdi hill, has received Supreme Court clearance to proceed after the court lifted a stay on construction. The court directed PMC to obtain environmental clearance before commencing work.

The project has been delayed for years due to environmental challenges. Environmental groups and activists, including Dr Sushma Date and ILS Law College, opposed the project arguing it would harm green cover. Key objections: the route passes through Vetal Tekdi green zone threatening tree cover and biodiversity; the Central Empowered Committee identified the area as a "Deemed Forest" and recommended halting construction; concerns about hill blasting disturbing ecological balance and groundwater levels; claims that better management of existing roads could eliminate the need.

PMC states the road will use a flyover-based design to minimise ecological damage and is crucial for traffic relief. Expected benefits: significant reduction in traffic on Fergusson College Road and Ganeshkhind Road; travel time between Kothrud and Shivajinagar to reduce by 20–25 minutes; alternative connectivity between Dehu Road–Shivajinagar and Chandni Chowk–Pune Central.

The case was heard before Justices Bhushan Gavai and Vinod Chandran. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented PMC. PMC's legal officer Nisha Chavan said the detailed order will clarify further procedures. Anirudh Pawaskar, head of PMC's road department, stated that once environmental clearance is obtained, work can begin.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), in a May 16 letter from chairman Siddhanta Das to the Maharashtra chief secretary, directed the state to immediately halt construction on the proposed Balbharati-Paud Phata (BBPP) Road project. No work should be undertaken in areas identified as "deemed forest" along the 2.1 km proposed road alignment. Proceeding would violate the Supreme Court's judgment in T.N. Godavarman vs Union of India & Others (1996) and the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023.

The directive follows a March 2024 petition by Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti (VTBKS), a Pune-based citizens' group, seeking CEC intervention to protect Vetal tekdi hill and its forest ecosystem from "irreversible damage." The group alleged the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) failed to comply with a 2016 Bombay High Court order requiring comprehensive need and environmental impact assessments before proceeding.

The CEC conducted a site visit on April 12, 2024. CEC member Sunil Limaye met around 30 citizens and PMC and forest officials. The Bombay High Court dismissed a February 2025 petition by Nagrik Chetna Manch challenging the project and directed PMC to obtain required environment and forest department permissions.

The road plan was incorporated into the city's development plan to alleviate Law College Road congestion.

Fergusson College Road hosts thousands of daily vehicles fighting for space on a narrow road ill-equipped for traffic volume. Landmarks include Café Good Luck, Fergusson College, Hotel Vaishali, and a cosmetics market. A law student reported taking more time to cover 1 km from Deccan Corner to college than 5 km from Karve Nagar to Deccan Corner during morning hours. Footpaths encroached by shops make pedestrian movement difficult. Business owners report customers avoid evening visits due to lack of parking; a cake shop owner witnesses daily disputes between traffic officials and illegally parked commuters. Few legal parking spots exist; most are occupied, forcing people to park on footpaths or no-parking zones and receive fines. Illegal hawkers occupy FC Road, exacerbated by PMC's halt on issuing fresh licenses since 2017. A tea stall vendor pays ₹3,000–4,000 to retrieve his stall after anti-encroachment drives. PMC officials state no permanent fix exists; licenses will only be issued in newly merged villages. Traffic congestion peaks at 9am and 6pm on weekdays, particularly at Garware Chowk and Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk. Narrow road width at Deccan Corner causes traffic from JM Road, Peth areas, and Kothrud–Paud Road to clog Garware Chowk. AI-enabled CCTV cameras issuing automatic challans for vehicles parked over three minutes have slightly improved traffic movement. Officials suggest bollards to prevent two-wheelers on footpaths and call for citizens to follow parking rules and avoid wrong-side driving.