E-Paper
Road to Sinhagad fort in Pune almost ready, but with reduced width
Construction of road still not complete and gaps on either side lead to problems
Tourists will now be able to drive down to their favourite monsoon destination, Sinhgad fort, with the Maharashtra Public Works Department assuring road construction in next 15 days.
Located 30 kilometres from Pune, Sinhgad fort attracts thousands of tourists every day. The fort is big draw especially during the monsoon and weekends. However, following incidents of landslides and poor road conditions, the forest department had last year closed the final 2km road stretch for vehicles which led to the fort.
The state public department almost completed the construction of the concrete road in the ghat section in February, though the PWD did not fit paver blocks on the left and right side of road as a result of which the original width of the road (5.5 metre) has now reduced and made it narrow.
Rahul Marathe, a regular trekker to the Sinhgad fort, said,“The existing road was not width enough and hence, the government decided to construct a new one. However, because of incorrect construction work by the PWD, this road has now become narrow as compared to the earlier road and this is the reason for the massive traffic congestion here.”
Vinita Bodhankar, another visitor, said,“During peak hours, there is a lot of traffic here. Earlier, construction of the road was responsible for the traffic jam and now, after the completion of the road, traffic congestion continues because it is very narrow.”
However, refuting all allegations, PWD officials said that the construction of road is not complete and is currently underway. PWD officials also said that they will fill the gaps on both sides of the road in the next 15 days.
“The gaps on both the sides of the road is not a mistake. It was part of the construction plan. Generally, during construction of concrete roads, first we have to construct the entire road and then, fill the gaps left on both the sides of the roads. Soon,we will fill those gaps,” said Nakul Ransingh, assistant engineer, PWD Pune.
PWD officials also said that the construction of the 2km (concrete) and 2.8km (asphalt) road was started a year ago. As of now the construction of the concrete road has been completed and the base of the asphalt road has been prepared. The remaining work of the asphalt road will be completed after the monsoon, the officials added. The project cost of the entire 4.8km road stretch is ₹5 crore.
Tamhini Ghat: Delayed work prompts tehsildar to warn contractor
Revelers wanting to enjoy the monsoons at the picturesque Tamhini ghat will have to cancel their plans, as the work for road concretisation on the stretch leading to the ghat is still incomplete. Seeing the delay in the work, Mulshi tehsildar Abhay Chavan issued a warning notice to Roadways Solutions India Private Limited, the contractor for the project, on June 13 to clean the construction debris on the road going towards Tamhini ghat and to erect signages within 15 days.
Residents of the area have already written many letters to the district administration regarding the slow speed of the construction work on 15-kilometre stretch from Pirangut to Mulshi. The ongoing work had desisted many tourists going to Konkan to avoid the route.
According to Chavan, the condition of the road stretch from Chandani chowk to Tamhini ghat is dangerous and contractor Roadways Solutions India Private Limited has failed to develop the road properly. There are no street light on this stretch, hence, it is difficult to commute during night. Construction debris, pebbles, soil and stones are scattered on the road which create hurdle for tourists and commuters.
In a notice issued to the contractor, the tehsildar, said,“Mulshi tehsil receives an average of 2,400mm rainfall and in such heavy rainfall, the condition of this stretch will worsen.” Hence, the tehsildar advised the contractor to remove all debris from the road and install signages.
Tamhini is a favourite holiday destination for many Punekars, particularly during the monsoon season. This road is also a short cut to reach the Konkan region. The tehsil administration also said that the contractor did not deploy adequate manpower to increase the pace of the construction work. The unfinished road construction work has turned into an accident zone, making life difficult for local villagers.
