Hundreds Of Potholes In Pimpri-Chinchwad: PCMC Promises To Repair Roads Before Diwali

Pimpri-Chinchwad: With torrential rains hitting Pimpri-Chinchwad city last week, hundreds of potholes have reappeared in the city. Officials announced on Friday that all these potholes will be repaired before Diwali. According to Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's (PCMC) data, there are a total of 582 potholes and road damages in the city.

Residents note that this year, the rains started in May itself, a month earlier than the average monsoon. Due to this, a large number of potholes have formed on roads in different areas of the twin cities of Pimpri-Chinchwad and its suburbs. A PCMC official said, "The city has roads ranging from twelve feet to 80 feet in width. There are 2,073 kilometres of roads, both paved and unpaved. There are asphalt and cement concrete roads. In four and a half months of the rainy season, 4,065 potholes have been found on these roads in this city."

PCMC claims that out of these, 3,696 potholes have been completely filled. Among them, 1,424 were filled with tar and cold mix, 313 with BBM, 1,203 with gravel, 275 with paving blocks, and 481 with cement concrete. This accounts for 86.40% of the work. The PCMC has claimed that only 582 potholes remain to be filled in the city. However, potholes are visible everywhere on roads in various parts of the city. Vehicles are moving very slowly on the potholed roads, and two-wheeler riders are facing many problems while navigating them.

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Shivam Markandey, a resident of Nigdi Pradhikaran, said, "Many roads in PCMC jurisdiction are damaged. They need to be repaired. When you drive a bike, the risk of accidents increases, and it also damages the spine. The roadworks are necessary. I can say, without any official stats, that thousands of potholes exist in the city."

Developmental Works Hamper Transport

Currently, infrastructural development works are going on in Pimpri-Chinchwad areas. These areas include Rakshak Chowk near Sangvi, where a subway is being built. Roadworks are ongoing on Kunal Icon Road in Pimple Saudagar. Metro work is ongoing on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway from Chinchwad to Nigdi. Road development works are also ongoing on Dutta Mandir Road in Wakad.

Metro's Request Still Not Completed

Metro work is underway on the service roads from Nigdi to Chinchwad. Therefore, this road has been handed over to the Metro authorities. Large potholes have formed on this route. After the PCMC corresponded three times to get these potholes filled, the Metro administration stated that the potholes would be filled only after the PCMC and traffic police divert the traffic. However, no decision has been made on this yet. Due to the potholes, it is taking drivers half an hour to cover a distance that should take ten minutes.

'We Will Fill Potholes Before Diwali'

The PCMC administration claims that since rain is expected to slow down, work can progress at a faster pace. With rain becoming less, officials claim that work will finish quickly. Residents, however, demand accountability from the PCMC. They say that roadworks are temporary and get damaged in the first rain.

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PCMC's Joint City Engineer Devanna Gattuwar said, "In four and a half months, 4,065 potholes have appeared in the city. Out of these, 3,696 potholes have been filled, and 582 potholes remain to be filled. As the rain has taken a break, the work of filling the potholes is proceeding at a fast pace. All the potholes in the city will be filled before Diwali."