Pune Rains: IT Workers Commuting To Hinjawadi, Magarpatta Demand Urgent Action, Seek Work-From-Home Option | Anand Chaini
As pre-monsoon rains lash Pune, IT employees in the tech hubs of Hinjawadi and Magarpatta are grappling with severe waterlogging and poor road infrastructure, turning their daily commutes into a nightmare. Heavy rainfall has exposed the city’s inadequate civic planning, leaving thousands of professionals stranded in traffic jams and paddling through flooded streets to reach their workplaces. Social media has amplified the outcry, with X (formerly Twitter) users slamming the authorities for neglecting infrastructure in these critical economic zones.
‘Every monsoon, it’s the same story’
Magarpatta, a key IT hub of Pune, faces the woes of waterlogging and flooding on the road. “Every monsoon, it’s the same story. The roads near Magarpatta City get flooded even with a small amount of rainfall, and numerous potholes on the road further make driving hazardous,” said Akash Chepunwar, a sales manager at Godrej Properties. “We’re spending more time stuck in traffic than working,” said Shital Kapase, a software engineer at a leading IT firm. She recounted a recent incident when her car got stuck in knee-deep water while commuting to Aundh from Hadapsar, delaying her by over two hours.
Traffic, waterlogging and potholes
Nishiganda Bhukkan, an IT professional, said, “I regularly commute from Kharadi to Bhosari. It usually takes 45–50 minutes to reach, but during rainfall, the commute increases by another half an hour or 40 minutes.” During rainfall, maximum traffic occurs at signals – for instance, Kalyani Nagar, Khadki and Nashik Phata – due to waterlogging and pothole-laden roads. She also highlighted issues with cab services – if they are late to make it to the cab on time at the start or end of the shift due to rainfall, the service providers are not considerate in reimbursing the cost.
Mayur Pethe, a senior IT specialist, said that he commutes daily for 13 km from Mundhwa to Shivajinagar. In the morning on normal days, it takes 45 minutes, but while leaving work, especially on rainy days, it takes him more than 90 minutes to travel. Though the traffic is as usual, due to road widening work from Ghorpadi to KP Westin, potholes are being created. When rain pours heavily, water starts rushing onto the road, and vehicles get jammed, which takes anywhere between 1–2 hours to clear.
FITE demands work-from-home
Pawanjit Mane, a member of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE), has urgently appealed to the Maharashtra government for mandatory work-from-home (WFH) policies until the monsoon subsides. He said, “It takes up to 2–3 hours for employees working at Hinjawadi and Baner to get back home during rainfall.” “We have written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Baramati MP Supriya Sule to look into the issue of waterlogging and traffic jams faced by IT employees. We have yet to get any response from them,” he added.
It seems there is no coordination between the road and drainage departments. IT employees are of the opinion that if they are delivering global-standard software and paying huge taxes to the government, they expect basic infrastructure from the authorities so that they do not face hassle commuting to work. He also emphasised the increasing number of IT employees leaving India for better working standards. When asked about how companies are responding to their issues, Mane said, “As such, we do not see a major push from employers. If that had been the case, these issues would not be repeated each year.”
‘IT firms reporting reduced productivity’
The economic impact of floods is significant, with IT firms reporting reduced productivity due to delayed commutes. “Many of our employees are spending hours navigating flooded roads. Along with the physical toll, it is also impacting mental health,” said an official from a major IT company in Hinjawadi, requesting anonymity.
As Pune braces for the coming monsoon showers, IT employees in Hinjawadi and Magarpatta are expecting swift action from the Municipal Corporation. “We need real solutions, not temporary fixes. This is about our safety and livelihoods,” remarked Mane.
