Citizen’s forum demand decongestion of Pune Camp to Undri stretch
The spots are East Street Camp, Golibar Maidan, Fakhri Hills, Salunke Vihar Rd, NIBM Junction, Palace Orchard Undri and Marvel Sangria Crossing
Citizens under the aegis of different citizens forums from Wanowrie, Kondhwa, NIBM- Mohammadwadi and Undri have posted their demand for decongestion of seven major traffic choke points causing daily chaos on the stretch from Pune camp to Undri.
The spots are East Street Camp, Golibar Maidan, Fakhri Hills, Salunke Vihar Rd, NIBM Junction, Palace Orchard Undri and Marvel Sangria Crossing.
Citizens have complained about the absence of traffic cops from the spots, leading to chronic traffic congestion on a regular basis. The PMC has also been blamed for its failure to remove hawkers along the roadsides and commissioning footpaths for pedestrians.
Commenting on the issue, Mohammadwadi Undri Residents Welfare Development Forum (MURWDF) director Sunil Aiyer said, “With vehicular traffic outnumbering human population in the city, the policymakers don’t seem to have any solution. The road stretch from Camp to Undri has been badly affected as a result of unruly traffic, a lack of traffic cops, and commuters violating traffic laws. We recommend that the PMC commissioner collaborate with the traffic branch to ensure that all traffic hotspots are decongested as soon as possible.”
Pointing out the nightmarish traffic conditions at NIBM Chowk, X user Rafiz in his post stated, “The Meetha Nagar Chowk has been taken over by hawkers. The area around Satyanand Hospital needs to be cleared. If there is an emergency, it will be difficult for an ambulance to reach the spot.”
NIBM Annexe resident’s forum director Jaymala Dhankikar claimed that the PMC road department was responsible for the worsening traffic scenario in the area.
“The PMC city engineers department gave permission to builders to construct the building first and did not bother to check whether the roads, footpaths and development plan implementation was taking place. For the past three decades, the PMC road department and the administration failed in their duties to check hawkers and create parking arrangements in the area, leading to chronic congestion,” Dhankikar said.
Kondhwa Citizens Forum member Saleem Mulla said, “Decongestion of Golibar Maidan and NIBM Chowk is the need of the hour. There is a need for the construction of either a grade separator or a flyover kind of bridge at Golibar Maidan. We request for deployment of more traffic personnel to assist the commuters in decongesting the chowks on a priority basis.”
DCP (Traffic) Amol Zende when contacted said, “We will listen to all the citizen forum feedback including complaints of common citizens to decongest the hotspots. The traffic division heads of the concerned areas will meet the citizens, and a joint action plan will be prepared to decongest all the hotspots.”
