Pune: Daily commuters are up in arms against the Khadki Cantonment Board and have complained of frequent traffic congestion and chaos due to potholes dotting the roads across the jurisdiction. While there are huge craters on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Bazaar Road, the worst patch is under the Holkar bridge. Motorists are forced to stop their vehicles repeatedly while weaving though the roads.
The problem becomes worse after rains when water accumulates and potholes are not visible. Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB) officials from the engineering section blamed Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for laying pipelines near the Holkar water junction in July. A senior official said on the condition of anonymity, “PMC dug up the entire stretch in July for the project and did not do proper repair works, thus blocking drainage.
Incessant rainfall and daily movement of heavy vehicles has added to the existing problem of bad roads.” A senior PMC official told TOI, “We paid digging charges to the KCB. It was also their job to repair the roads properly.
They can’t blame us for their failure.” Meanwhile, the 5km Ambedkar stretch from Gurdwara junction in the Khadki Bazaar area to the Deccan College chowk is the main thoroughfare for industrial vehicles coming from Bhosari and Pimpri Chinchwad industrial zone. Software engineer Deepak Patil, who is a regular commuter, said, “The volume of heavy vehicles plying at night on the stretch and Mula Road is high.
It is impossible for motorists t.