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Roof leak incident at recently renovated Balgandharva Rangmandir
Since its opening in 1968, the auditorium has been a popular location for cultural events, plays, and art exhibits
After undergoing ₹ 1.5 crore renovations just two months ago, the roof at Balgandharva Rangmandir had water leaking through during a show on Saturday. The PMC claimed it was a small issue and that it had been resolved.
Since its opening in 1968, the auditorium has been a popular location for cultural events, plays, and art exhibits. Balgandharva Rangmandir reopened in March 2024 after a month and a half closure for renovations.
Many artists and admirers had complained about the lack of facilities at the famed auditorium. The management then closed the theatre for maintenance on February 16. During maintenance, the VIP area was renovated, the air-conditioning system and stage curtains were replaced, the chairs were replaced, and the walls were painted.
Reacting to the development, Rajesh Kamthe, manager of Balgandharv Rangmandir said, “The drainpipe was clogged, which was cleared later. The water was leaking on one side of the wall of the theatre. The renovation work was carried out by the Bhavan Department of PMC.”
Virendra Kelkar, engineer of the Bhavan Department of PMC said, “On Saturday, the water roof leaking incident was minor one and it was rectified. It happened due to an unclean drainpipe. It is part of regular maintenance work.”
Leakage at Metro stations
The first pre-monsoon rain on Saturday exposed issues with the administration’s work and affected metro stations in Pune. Due to the rain, several metro stations experienced leaks, causing inconvenience to passengers.
Pune metro administration’s works are in the final phase, with the metro running in the first three phases and serving thousands of passengers. However, the heavy rain on Saturday afternoon caused significant leaks at Pune Metro stations, especially at Anandnagar and Civil Court stations.
Atul Gadgil, Director (works) of Pune Metro said, “The stations are open and therefore rainwater came on the platform.”
