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Potholes continue to torment Pune residents. They claim that despite continuously following up with authorities and raising the concern, no concrete action has been taken.

'Last week, my colleague’s bike skidded'

Aruna Kulkarni, a resident of Karve Nagar, said, "Heavy rains have left several stretches looking less like roads and more like patchy ponds. Two-wheeler riders, often drenched from head to toe, try to maintain balance on slippery surfaces. Pedestrians, too, tiptoe along broken footpaths, dodging splashes from passing vehicles. Last week, my colleague’s bike skidded because of a pothole near the University Circle. He escaped with minor injuries, but it could have been much worse."

'So many people are dying in road accidents'

"Social media is flooded with images of water-filled potholes, some so deep they could easily hide a football. Many residents have tagged the authorities on social media, and they generate a token for the complaint, but no change is seen. People are facing inconvenience due to bad roads, and we feel helpless; so many people are dying in road accidents because of the pathetic conditions of the roads," said Utkarsh Saxena, a resident of Kharadi.

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For daily wage workers and delivery personnel, the problem is even more severe. “If I’m late with deliveries because of traffic jams caused by potholes, I lose money,” said Ganesh Shinde, a food delivery rider from Kondhwa.

'It seems they will only wake up when a major accident claims a life'

"For years, large potholes have plagued the stretch of Saswad Road in front of Bhairavnath Complex. Water from the nearby shop pipelines flows onto the road throughout the year. Heavy vehicles frequently pass here, and despite numerous accidents caused by skidding on this slippery road, the newly formed municipal council remains indifferent. Many residents reported this issue several times, yet neither the road department nor the council has taken action. It seems they will only wake up when a major accident claims a life," said Deepak Wadkar, a resident of Fursungi.  

Locals of Mahalunge said, "The roads leading to Kul Ecoloch are so bad that every day around 2-3 accidents are reported. Trucks and cement mixers ply these roads, and big potholes can be seen everywhere. Many people are even complaining about getting severe back pain because of daily commutes on these roads."

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Road Mitra app

After repeated complaints from the residents, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) launched a new mobile application, Road Mitra app, on Tuesday to resolve pothole-related issues.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Aniruddha Pawaskar, PMC Road Department Head, said, “To tackle the pothole-related issues, we have launched the Road Mitra app, and within a few hours, it received 47 complaints. With this, we are able to address them immediately. As per PMC norms, we need to address all these complaints in 70 hours. This app will help us in addressing and providing an immediate solution to the residents."  

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