Your Space: Bad roads, bumpy ride; a wake-up call for PMC

Will the civic administration be able to complete various road projects before the monsoon? Readers share views and suggestions...

Hold officials responsible

Since the turn of the year, the PMC has dug up many roads across the city under the guise of routine maintenance. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The delay in completing monsoon preparedness works exposes civic apathy. While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) carried out timely beautification works, including road and footpath repairs and road painting, for the G20 summit, the deadline for annual works before the rainy season is generally missed. Residents end up as sufferers of the civic lethargy. As the civic affairs are presently run by the municipal commissioner as the administrator, punitive action should be taken against officials who miss the deadline.

Satish Jadhav

Work at snail’s speed

The works carried out by PMC are always at a snail’s speed and they mostly miss the deadline related to monsoon. Whether it is cleaning of stormwater and drainage lines, road repairs or other works, the civic body fails to complete on time and citizens face public inconvenience. The road repairs carried out during the rainy season fails its purpose. The departments looking after these works should be made accountable. Fear of municipal action may prompt officials to begin and finish civic works as per schedule.

Amrapalee Dhiwar

Expect bad roads this monsoon

Expect bad and potholed-roads, trenches, waterlogging and traffic jams this rainy season as PMC will be unable to finish monsoon preparedness works on time. How are the citizens going to live in such a situation? Just a few spells of rain and there is waterlogging everywhere. Though PMC has the responsibility of maintaining good roads, they never fail to miss the deadline.

Atul Jain

Roads are not of ‘smart city’ standards

While PMC works mostly miss the deadline, the authorities fail to attend to citizen complaints on bad roads. We can certainly say that the roads of Pune are not up to the mark of a “Smart City”. The patchwork and trench repair works are not done as per standard norms. One can see speed breakers of various heights and widths on the same stretch of a road in the city. PMC is yet to address an online complaint about a dug-up road at Kothrud for Maha-Metro to lay power cable. Civic officials said it is the responsibility of Maha-Metro to repair the stretch. The ‘passing of buck’ leaves citizens inconvenienced. Some paver block roads near MIT School at Kothrud need urgent repairs.

Amol Kale

Missing deadline is norm

The deadlines have been missed and no action taken against civic officials who had been assigned the responsibility of civic works. The condition of city roads is pathetic. Some entire stretch of lane is dug up in areas like Kalyaninagar with metro works adding to public inconvenience. The roads on metro routes are damaged. PMC has started cleaning stormwater and drainage lines with monsoon soon to knock on the city’s door. We have to face waterlogging and potholes during the monsoon. The areas under the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation have better roads and planned water and drainage lines as compared to the Pune counterpart. It seems the Pune Municipal Corporation has its own agenda, and it is seen more in words then in action.

Daljeet Raizada

Brace for a bumpy monsoon ride

PMC has missed the deadline this year, like last year. Residents have to brace themselves for a bumpy ride this monsoon and risk their health and life. Even the many public complaints made to the civic body mostly remains unanswered or gets delayed attention. Many commuters complain of backache, shoulder and neck pain because of driving during rainy season. While doctors cite bad roads and potholes for the problem, I blame PMC for it. The road repairs never get completed before the rainy season and the works taken up during the monsoon is sloppy. Not only do I have to deal with health issues, but also shell out money to repair my car damaged by driving on potholes. There are even accidents happening due to bad roads in the city. Will PMC take the responsibility for it if such similar unfortunate incidents happen this monsoon just because they failed to complete their work in time?

Gautam Kumar