Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has issued a fresh notice to Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL), the contractor responsible for road repairs near Metro construction sites.
The notice comes in response to worsening road conditions in critical areas, including Ganeshkhind, Pashan, and Baner, where commuters have been grappling with dangerous potholes and poor road surfaces.
Over the last few weeks, citizens and vehicle owners using these routes have faced significant challenges as heavily trafficked roads became increasingly difficult to navigate.
With hundreds of vehicles passing through these areas daily, motorists have had to drive slowly and carefully to avoid damage to their vehicles due to the potholes.
The affected roads, including those near the Agricultural College, are crucial for smooth city transit, and their disrepair has caused widespread inconvenience.
During her two-day visit to Pune on September 2 and 3, President Droupadi Murmu's motorcade struggled to navigate the city, especially Ganeshkhind road, due to the numerous potholes, a result of insufficient road maintenance.
Frustrated by the poor road conditions, President Murmu expressed her concern in a strongly-worded letter to the Pune Police.
PMRDA had previously assigned responsibility to PITCMRL under a "build-operate-transfer" agreement, which mandated that the company maintain the roads during and after the Metro construction.
Despite several reminders, PITCMRL has failed to meet these obligations, prompting PMRDA to take more assertive action.
PMRDA Commissioner Dr. Yogesh Mhase has issued a strict directive to PITCMRL, ordering them to complete the necessary repairs by September 25.
The notice warns that the growing frustrations of the public need to be addressed immediately, and any further delays in road repairs would not be tolerated.
This is not the first time that the Metro contractor has been called out for negligence.
Just two weeks ago, a similar notice was issued regarding roads in the Maan-Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar corridor, following complaints of worsening conditions in that region.