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 to drive safely due to the poor roads. KCB needs to tar the surface immediately.” Bad roads and potholes are a problem on internal stretches, including the Range Hills pockets, and near the Khadki police station.
Regular commuter Saket Joshi said, “KCB officials are waiting for a major mishap. The size of potholes is huge and traversing roads in KCB limits is a nightmare, especially during peak hours and at night. The authorities are doing little to improve the situation.
” A sizeable number of military personnel and defence civilians use the cantonment’s roads and are furious over the poor maintenance. An army officer said, “Our commuting time has doubled. Why can’t we have an effective mechanism to repair and maintain roads? KCB should have surveyed the roads and carried out necessary work before monsoon arrived.
” KCB chief executive officer Minakshi Lohia did not respond to phone calls or messages till the time of going to press. We also published the following articles recently Pothole Protest: Road To My Home Buried In Slush A man from north Nagpur staged a dramatic protest by squatting in a water-filled pothole to draw attention to his locality's crumbling infrastructure. Residents have struggled with poor road conditions for two decades, despite paying taxes.
The protest aimed to urge local authorities to address these urgent issues and improve safety for the community. Slushy, pothole-ridden roads affect functioning of Gamanagatti Industrial Estate The Gamanagatti Industrial Estate in Hubballi faced severe transportation issues due to deteriorating roads. Industrialists struggled to transport goods and faced delays.
Workers commuting on two-wheelers risked accidents, forcing some employers to provide car rides. Temporary road repair measures were promised by officials to alleviate the problem. Crater Crisis: NMCs Special Team To Inspect Cement Roads To Fix Potholes The Nagpur Municipal Corporation, following orders from the Bombay high court, formed a special team led by chief engineer Leena Upadhyay to inspect and address potholes on cement concrete roads.
Stringent measures like enforcing no objection certificates for road digging have been introduced to enhance road conditions and ensure smoother travel for motorists in the city..
