Pune Residents Intensify Opposition to 'Death Trap' Development Plan Road
Residents in Pune's NIBM and Undri neighborhoods have described a proposed Development Plan (DP) road connecting NIBM Road to Kondhwa Road as a potential "death trap," citing its steep gradient and multiple blind spots. The opposition has recently intensified, with fears that reckless tanker drivers could cause havoc on the stretch adjacent to Clover Pinnacle Ridge.
Residents Plan Protest Over Safety Concerns
Parveen Tambe, co-founder of the NIBM Undri Residents' Forum, announced plans for a weekend protest. "The proposed road has serious flaws. It has no chamber, multiple blind spots, and the gradient is extremely steep. There is barely any space between some bungalows and the road, leaving no margin for safety," Tambe stated. He questioned why a safer, parallel 24-metre road isn't being considered instead, warning of potential casualties.
PMC Road Department Unaware of Opposition
In a concerning development, the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) road department appeared clueless about the residents' opposition. Rajesh Bankar, chief engineer of PMC's road department, said, "I am not aware of residents opposing the DP Road. I will look into the matter." This lack of awareness has further fueled residents' frustrations.
Existing Road Hazards Compound Fears
Residents highlighted that daily commutes along NIBM Road are already hazardous due to:
- Potholes and uneven surfaces
- Speeding tankers and heavy vehicles
- Motorists forced to swerve abruptly
They stressed that introducing a poorly planned DP road would only worsen this strained network.
Technical Analysis Reveals Critical Flaws
A road safety report by Global Traffic Solutions, commissioned by residents, found alarming issues:
- The 375-metre stretch has gradients ranging from 10.6% to 13.7%, far exceeding the Indian Roads Congress limit of 4%
- This significantly increases brake failure risks, especially for heavy vehicles
- The intersection handles over 63,000 cars daily without signals
- It recorded 13 crashes between 2022 and 2024, including four fatalities
Poor visibility, lack of pedestrian infrastructure, and constrained road geometry further compound these risks.
Residents Detail Specific Dangers
Aliasgar Godhrawale, secretary of Konark Indrayu Enclave Phase 1, explained the topography: "Imagine vehicles coming down a steep slope from Kundan Peak to Konark Indrayu, then meeting another gradient at a near-perpendicular angle. No matter how many speed breakers you install, heavy vehicles can lose control and crash head-on."
Land Ownership Complications Emerge
Bhupendrasingh Bindra, secretary of Clover Pinnacle Ridge, revealed complications over land ownership. "The road was shown as privately owned and later handed over to the PMC in January 2025. Soon after, we received a notice to demolish a wall built by a builder, assuming it was built by residents. The wall has existed since 2004—we only repaired it after damage," he said.
Proposed Road's Purpose and Alternatives
The proposed DP Road aims to allow traffic flow from Undri towards Kondhwa Road, bypassing choked intersections like Baker's Point Chowk and Kausarbaug Chowk. However, residents point to existing problematic stretches like Ishrat Baug and the Pinnacle approach road, where work has been ongoing for over four years, as examples of poor planning.
Despite repeated meetings with authorities, residents report no progress. "They are still adamant and are now asking us to give everything in writing," Bindra lamented. The community remains united in demanding a safer alternative to what they perceive as a dangerously designed infrastructure project.
