Pune: Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi on Thursday acknowledged that the administration was unable to handle the situation effectively after a gas tanker overturned in the Khandala ghat section, leading to prolonged hardship for commuters. He said the incident would be treated as a case study to frame standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling similar emergencies in the future.
Following the accident, vehicles remained stranded near the site for several hours, leaving passengers without access to food, drinking water or toilet facilities.
Calling it an “exceptional accident”, Dudi said the tanker was carrying highly inflammable propylene gas, which severely limited the administration’s ability to respond in a routine manner. “In normal accident cases, our teams reach the spot within 30 minutes and clear the site. However, this involved highly flammable gas and required specialised expert teams. Coordination to reach the right experts took time,” he said.
The collector also pointed out that the location of the accident compounded the problem. “The tanker overturned near an exit, and vehicles could not be diverted easily. This led to traffic remaining stationary for a long period,” Dudi said.
Admitting the inconvenience caused to citizens, he said the administration would now formalise protocols. “We are treating this incident as a learning exercise. SOPs are being prepared so that if such an incident occurs in the future, we know exactly how to handle it. We are also planning mechanisms to provide basic amenities such as food, drinking water and toilets to people stranded near accident sites,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Admitting the inconvenience caused to citizens, he said the administration would now formalise protocols. “We are treating this incident as a learning exercise. SOPs are being prepared so that if such an incident occurs in the future, we know exactly how to handle it. We are also planning mechanisms to provide basic amenities such as food, drinking water and toilets to people stranded near accident sites,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Dudi added that both the Pune and Raigad district administrations are jointly studying the incident. “We have also learnt that tankers carrying flammable gases largely originate from the southern states. We are examining whether only capable and properly trained drivers are being deployed for transporting such hazardous materials,” he said.
The incident, however, drew sharp criticism from citizens, with many pointing to administrative and political failure in managing the crisis. Commuters expressed anger over the absence of senior political leaders and top administrative officers at the spot during the prolonged disruption on Wednesday and Thursday, saying the lack of visible leadership worsened public frustration.