Baner residents complain of slow pace of road work now causing accidents

PUNE Residents of Baner have demanded completion of road work, citing that as many as 16 commuters who have been grievously injured in various accidents in the past four weeks

PUNE Residents of Baner have demanded completion of road work, citing that as many as 16 commuters who have been grievously injured in various accidents in the past four weeks.

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The work of cement concretisation of the road has been underway for the past six months as part of the smart city project.

Most of the accidents have taken place after two-wheelers have skidded on loose gravel and sand left on the road due to the ongoing work.

The local unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also held a demonstration against the slow-paced work and demanded action, including relief and compensation to the accident victims.

Local resident Nitin Kalamkar said, “We are seeing road work in progress for months. A number of safety norms have been violated and no action is being taken against the PMC for dereliction of duty. More than 19 persons have been injured and had sustained fractures and other ailments due to the ongoing work.”

Activist Vaishali Patkar said, “There is no proper system in place to maintain safety and security of the commuters by the PMC road department. The signage and other markings for safety are completely missing. We have been pressing very hard for road safety during reconstruction and other civic work operations by the PMC, but the administration has no concern for the lives of residents. We demand an early end to the road work here in Baner.”

Commuter Madhusudan Date said, “There are several spots on the road where the work is overflowing onto the main road with huge rocks, mud and construction material obstructing the path of commuters and motorists. I travel on this road on a daily basis for my work. Not all have been as lucky as me. I have seen two-wheeler riders slipping over the construction material.”

Kunal Khemnar, additional commissioner of the Pune Municipal Corporation said, “The road department will mandatorily prepare a weekly report highlighting the status of road repairs. The decision has been taken after complaints about road digging and potholes were received by our department. We have instructed staff to conduct checks and compile a ground report. The status of pothole repairs and the quality of material used for repairs will be mentioned in it. All the issues of the citizens will be resolved.”