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Ongoing roadwork raises concerns ahead of monsoon onset
Pune's monsoon is imminent, but roadworks by the PMC remain unfinished, raising safety concerns among citizens regarding traffic disruptions.
PUNE: With the weather department forecasting the monsoon’s arrival within a few days, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is yet to complete several road excavation and resurfacing works across the city, raising concerns among citizens over traffic disruption and commuter safety during the rainy season.
At several locations, fresh road excavation works for water pipelines, drainage lines and cable laying are still underway. Civic officials said the civic body generally sets a deadline of May 31 every year for completion of road digging and resurfacing works before the onset of monsoon.
PMC city engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar said, “Every year, we set a deadline of May 31 to complete road digging and resurfacing works. During the rainy season, only emergency and essential works are permitted. Some projects may get delayed, but the civic administration will instruct all contractors to complete pending road works on priority.”
However, citizens and political leaders have questioned the timing of the ongoing works. Nationalist Congress Party leader Nitin Kadam said PMC had started road digging work near the Mahalaxmi Temple close to Sarasbaug only on Wednesday.
“If the work begins on May 20, it will be difficult to complete it before the monsoon arrives,” he said.
Residents from different parts of the city also expressed concern over unfinished civic works. Ramesh Modak, a resident of Padmavati, said, “I have seen two to three road digging works going on in our locality. If the work is not completed before the rains, two-wheeler riders and motorists will face inconvenience.”
Another resident, Siddharth Khaire, raised concerns over pending tree trimming work ahead of the monsoon. “We had raised the issue of tree trimming as several Gulmohar trees are leaning over roads. Ideally, PMC should complete pruning before the rainy season, but no such activity is visible in the city. In the past few years, several accidents have occurred due to falling trees during heavy rain,” he said.
