Hadapsar residents protest against traffic woes, demand compensation as ‘traffic-affected citizens’

At least 100 residents staged a protest at Sasanenagar railway gate, Hadapsar, as they have been facing traffic-related issues for a decade.

At least 100 residents staged a protest at Sasanenagar railway gate, Hadapsar, as they have been facing traffic-related issues for a decade.

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The residents who came out in large numbers demanded a written assurance from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) over the completion date of the ongoing underpass work and also asked Rs 15,000 compensation for the families which are directly affected due to the traffic as ‘traffic-affected people’ on the similar ground of project-affected or disaster-affected people.

The railway gate at Sasanenagar junction has being a major traffic issue since many years now, despite a ground breaking ceremony, for an under bridge, in 2014 by the current deputy CM, Ajit Pawar, who was the then guardian minister. The project got stalled after the government changed in 2014 and as the civic body could not find land for the same.

Sunil Yadav, assistant commissioner of Hadapsar ward said, “We have given the residents a written assurance stating that we will complete the work by March 15.”

Vaibhav Patil, president, Foundation of Housing Society of Hadapsar said, “Although the civic body has given a written assurance, the traffic issue would not be resolved unless a road under bridge is built at gate number seven. We have demanded that the civic body which collects huge taxes from us must provide us with compensation if it is not able to give us a permanent solution.”

Chetan Tupe, MLA from Hadapsar who also participated in the protest said, “Those who stalled the under bridge need to answer as to why was it stalled. We will follow up on the issue now and make sure that the project is started again. The earlier government will now be responsible for the cost escalation and the trouble that the citizens had to undergo all these years.”

The central railways are currently constructing the two underpasses in between gate six and seven and gate seven and eight for which the civic body has paid the money to the railways.

A senior railway official who is looking into the work of the underpass on the condition of anonymity said, “We gave the permission and started the work to construct the underpass only after the PMC gave us a no objection certificate (NOC) to shut gate number seven and eight once the underpass is available for public use. The decision to shut the gates is to avoid accidents and delay in railway traffic due to road traffic. Once the ongoing construction of the underpass is completed, we will shut the gates as per the NOC.”

However, Tupe said that the railways should not shut the gate as it would lead to a chaotic situation and directly affect at least two lakh people who live in that area. “How can the railways build two underpasses which are less than three metres when the Indian Road Congress guidelines clearly states that an underpass should be over 5.5 metres in height. How would heavy vehicles, including school buses, pass from such a small underpass?”