Pune: Intense rains wreaked havoc in the city on Wednesday, causing severe traffic disruptions and waterlogging in many areas. Commuters reported extraordinary delays in reaching places as they waited for traffic jams to clear up. Industrialist Rajiv Bajaj said, "I left my Akurdi office 4.
45pm today, 4 hours later I'm still not home at Koregaon Park which usually takes me 35mins." He added, "There was some rain and the roads are as always broken but the inexplicable failure of traffic signals & the absolute absence of a single cop policing traffic has made this a nightmarish experience." Bajaj said, "It was clear evidence of the government's lack of accountability.
.." Kondhwa resident Imam Shaikh described his ordeal crossing Lullanagar Chowk towards Kondhwa.
He said, "The place was totally waterlogged, and there was a major traffic jam and a vehicle breakdown. To pass the 100m stretch, I had to spend almost an hour in the rain." Commuters were stranded across the city, including Krishnath Yavale, who found himself stuck at Juna Bazaar Chowk for nearly an hour.
"Nothing was moving. I started from PMC building and reached the chowk only after 50 minutes. The traffic was chaotic," Yavale, a salesman, said.
The weather also disrupted Pune's air travel with six departing and six arriving flights delayed the afternoon. Airport officials confirmed that there were no cancellations or diversions reported, despite the heavy showers. The MSRTC Swargate bus depot was hit hard by the del.