Pune: The slow and outdated road roller at Pune’s Nagar Road Ward Office has become a major obstacle in timely pothole repairs, affecting multiple areas.

Covering 40 square kilometers, the ward office has only one aging road roller, which significantly delays repair work. Frustrated by the inefficiency, officials raised the issue with MLA Bapu Pathare during a recent meeting.

A meeting was convened at the Nagar Road Ward Office to address various civic complaints, including encroachments, water supply issues, road repairs, public sanitation, and garbage collection. Present at the meeting were engineers, health inspectors, Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Nandkar, and Assistant Commissioner Sanjay Pol.

During discussions, officials highlighted the challenges posed by the outdated road roller. Many roads across Wagholi, Lohegaon, Dhanori, Kharadi, Viman Nagar, and Wadgaon Sheri have fallen into disrepair, prompting residents to demand immediate pothole fixes.

However, the road roller takes an excessively long time to travel between locations, often failing to reach Lohegaon and Wagholi altogether. As a result, repair workers and equipment are left waiting idly, causing significant delays. Junior engineers expressed their frustration, stating that the inefficiency of the roller is hindering road maintenance efforts.

New Road Roller Reassigned Elsewhere

Further complicating matters, officials revealed that a new road roller, which was originally allocated to the Nagar Road Ward Office, had instead been reassigned to the Ghole Road Ward Office. This has left the Nagar Road team dependent on its slow, outdated equipment, hampering ongoing repair work.

Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Nandkar assured that a formal request for a new road roller would be made to the municipal administration to address this issue.

MLA Bapu Pathare stressed the urgent need for additional resources to improve civic services in the region. He emphasized that the encroachment department requires additional laborers, vehicles, and cranes.

Additionally, he called for an increase in jetting and grab machines, the allocation of a dedicated vehicle for the dog squad, and the procurement of a new road roller. A request outlining these requirements has already been submitted to the Municipal Commissioner.