PMC continues with road-digging, tarring as monsoon plays truant

With the southwest monsoon delayed, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is continuing with its road- digging and tarring works across the city

Pune: With the southwest monsoon delayed, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is continuing with its road- digging and tarring works across the city. It may be noted that the PMC had gone on record that there would be no road-digging after May 31 whereas the civic administration is now claiming that road-digging is being allowed to continue only in case of essential works. What is even more surprising is that the PMC is carrying on with road-digging right behind Hotel JW Marriott on Senapati Bapat Road, which is the venue of the ongoing G20 Conference. Road-digging works are currently underway from Salisbury Park, Parvati to Mitra Mandal Chowk.

With the southwest monsoon delayed, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is continuing with its road- digging and tarring works across the city. (PRATHAM GOKHALE/HT)

Rohit Joshi, a citizen, said, “I am surprised how the PMC is allowing road-digging in June. There will certainly be potholes at some spots after it starts raining.”

Jayashree Bhoite, who works in information technology (IT), said, “During summer, the PMC did not do anything. The tarring work could have been completed during summer. Now as the monsoon is delayed, it is carrying out tarring work. The road from Chavan Nagar to Taljai has become so dangerous as it has been dug up for tarring work.”

Earlier, municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar had said, “The PMC will not allow road-digging work after the end of May.”

On his part, the head of the PMC road department, V J Kulkarni, said, “To prevent potholes, the PMC has approved funds for tarring many roads that were dug up before the monsoon. With the rains delayed, the PMC is trying to complete the maximum tarring work so that citizens face less problems during the rainy season.”