Roads waterlogged, traffic disrupted in Hinjewadi, Wakad areas
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), police and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials visited the waterlogged roads of Wakad and Hinjewadi and inspected the stormwater drainages sites
Amid heavy rains, roads leading to the IT hub Hinjewadi have been waterlogged for the past five days. Roads leading from Wakad, Sayaji underpass, and Hinjewadi main road, have been waterlogged due to water overflowing from the nullahs, thus becoming a nuisance for many of the IT personnel commuting to work and causing long traffic jams.
Early in the day on Thursday, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), police and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials visited the waterlogged roads of Wakad and Hinjewadi and inspected the stormwater drainages sites.
“We had a three-hour inspection visit with officials from NHAI, MIDC, PCMC Wakad ward office along with DCP Anand Bhoite to plan for alternate routes,” said senior police inspector Vitthal Kubade, Hinjewadi traffic police station.
Dinesh Kothawade, an IT professional living in Wakad, took one hour and 40 minutes to reach his office, which otherwise is a 20 minutes’ drive.
“I drove through two underpasses in Wakad and Bhumkar chowk, to return to the main road than to take an alternate long route to Mann and to get stuck in waterlogged TCS chowk and heavy traffic only to circle back to the main road of the IT park to reach my office. It was quite a long drive and immensely slow with waterlogging everywhere,” he said.
Shireesh Ringe, an NHAI official who was on inspection, said, “The new stormwater line is of 450mm capacity, which cannot take the heavy load of rainwater flowing from Bhumkar chowk, waked highway and Hinjewadi. Thus, it is overflowing on the main road and underpasses. There is a culvert but it is blocked due to a new building which is built right on the opening of the culvert thus adding to water accumulating on the road.”
