Traffic near Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple and other parts of Pune has come to a crawl due to unfinished road repairs following drainage and pipeline work. The half-done roads aren’t just slowing down traffic – they’re making daily commutes miserable and dangerous for travellers.
Things are especially bad around Dagdusheth Mandir, Apte Road, Narhe, Paud Road and Mahesh Chowk in Bibwewadi. At these spots, road repairs have either stalled or haven’t even started, leaving locals and commuters fuming over how long it’s taking to fix things up.
Shrikant Mishra, a resident of Raviwar Peth, told The Free Press Journal, “This is a very busy route due to a lot of visitors to the Ganpati temple. The work has been done but resurfacing work is pending. Concrete and other materials are openly lying on the road, causing severe distress to the commuters. The two-wheelers slip due to the concrete pieces lying in the middle of the road. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) needs to restore it properly without causing any delay.”
Moosa Sheikh, a resident of Parvati, added, “Due to drainage work at Mahesh Chowk in Bibwewadi that has been ongoing for the last 7-8 months, we are forced to cover more distance to reach our destination at Gangadham Chowk. The administration should look into the matter and complete the work as soon as possible.”
Snehal Patil, a resident of Paud Road, expressed, “I have recently spent money on repairing my bike’s suspension. Now I have to spend more money if the roads continue to be in this state.”
Meanwhile, Nandkumar Jagtap, Head of the Water Department, PMC, said, “We have completed the pending work of laying the water pipeline in a few areas near Dagdusheth Mandir and Apte road. We have been following up with the road department and they have already started the resurfacing of roads in the areas. In the coming 4-5 days, it will be completed.”
