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Civic lethargy has Pune’s Balajinagar folk walking down a dangerous road
Road work that is on in the area aims to comprise footpaths, cycle tracks and new drainage pipelines; however, life for residents of the area is a commuting nightmare
Ganesh immersion done; monsoon retreating; daily visitors to Balajinagar vegetable market are now ready to take on a daily trepidation that signified danger since May 2019 - potholes.
Upturned stones and open pipelines are the other obstacles on this dreaded road stretch.
Narayan Jagdale, a resident of Raj Mudra Society, Katraj, fears every time he has to ride his bike on the narrow stretch. “Who can we complain to? This is PMC at work and they are not concerned about residents in this area?,” says Jagdale.
“Since May, we are paitently waiting for this road work to be completed,” says Om Prakash Tandale, owner of Durga car accessories, situated on the main road , Balajinagar.
Road work that is on in the area aims to comprise footpaths, cycle tracks and new drainage pipelines; however, life for residents of the area is a commuting nightmare.
Balkrishna Mishra, owner a car maintenance store, one of many that line the left side of the road which has been dug up, says, “When the PMC began to dig up the road, we initially asked the contractor, and he said it will be a 20-day project. Now it has stretched for months.”
With no space for cars to park to avail of his services, his staffers are seen wiling away time.
Mane Jewellers has a splendid showroom, but this Ganesh festival has not seen the usual store traffic. “Where will my customers park their vehicle? We were told when we set shop that there will be parking space, but that is going to be a wide footpath and cycle track. We were informed that this digging will be over within 15 days, but it has gone on. We had even suggested it be done phase-wise, so that not all the 70 shops in this area are affected, but no one listened to us,” says Nikhil Mane, owner, Mane Jewellers.
P G Pawar, a resident of Balaji nagar, says, “Crossing the road has become an hassle for senior citizens and children. The municipal authorities must pay heed to our pleas.”
Potholes back in business as monsoon recedes
The retreating monsoon has the city’s roads pock marked with craters - big and small - some with fatal consequences (see box).
The road leading to Jehangir Hospital from Pune railway station has metro rubble adding to the road trouble created by the incessant drizzles.
“There is loose gravel kept on the side which during the rains shifts onto the only stretch of road available for travel; that too has a massive pothole,” says Vishal Shinde, employee with a private firm and a regular user of the road.
Residents in parts of Kondhwa, especially along the Katraj-Kondhwa road, have the same complaint. “A month ago, we saw people from PMC filling up these potholes. Now with incessant rains, the potholes are back,” says Sonal Raut, a housewife who travels daily to a nearby playschool for her son.
Even Baner road, which is part of smart city, has potholes.
PMC, road department’s, executive engineer, Bharat Mohite, said, “We use hot mix material for the main roads, but in the rains it becomes difficult and maintaining it is a problem. In some places we use inter-locking blocks, while in newly extended areas, we use ‘murum’ (hard soil).”
