The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has announced the completion of a major road repair drive, targeting thousands of potholes and rough patches that have plagued the city's streets. Over the past four weeks, the civic administration claims to have rectified a total of 2,989 potholes and rough patches across various areas. This intensive campaign was launched in direct response to growing public outcry over deteriorating road conditions, which were further exacerbated by prolonged rainfall in October.
Scale and Scope of the Repair Work
PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram stated on Wednesday that the past month saw collective efforts to address the pressing issue. The civic body's road department provided detailed figures, revealing that the work covered approximately 1.9 lakh square meters of area across 1,800 different locations. In addition to filling potholes, the PMC also undertook milling work on roads where the damage was particularly severe.
Aniruddha Pavaskar, head of PMC's road department, elaborated on the process. "We asked contractors to strictly follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to repair the roads and chambers," Pavaskar said. He also noted that around 900 drainage and stormwater chambers have been levelled as part of the comprehensive repair initiative. The civic body has invested a significant sum, with around Rs 15 crore spent on these repairs, most of which were concentrated within the old PMC limits.
Citizen Feedback and Ongoing Challenges
Despite the civic body's claims and expenditure, the response from daily commuters and residents has been largely critical. Many have expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the repairs are uneven and have, in some cases, made driving more difficult due to mismatched road levels.
Ashish Bhosale, a resident of Khadki, pointed out specific trouble spots. "Key roads like the old Pune-Mumbai road and roads in the Aundh area require repairs. PMC should take up regular maintenance," he urged. Another commuter, Mahesh Tambe, highlighted problems in popular areas. "The repairs on FC Road and in the Model Colony area were not done properly. They are not matching the road surfaces. The potholes are not repaired properly as well," Tambe stated.
Official Response and Future Plans
Acknowledging the complaints, civic officials have admitted that the patchwork at some locations does not seamlessly blend with the existing road surface. In response, they have committed to revisiting these sites. The administration has decided to continue the repair work to cover more areas and road stretches, indicating that the "pothole-free roads campaign" is an ongoing effort rather than a one-time drive.
The PMC's campaign underscores the perennial challenge of maintaining urban infrastructure, especially after heavy monsoon rains. While the scale of work undertaken in four weeks is substantial, the gap between administrative data and ground-level user experience remains a significant hurdle for the civic body to overcome.
