Pune: During her two-day visit to Pune on September 2 and 3, President Droupadi Murmu encountered one of the city's major infrastructure issues - potholed roads.
The President’s motorcade reportedly struggled to navigate the city due to the numerous potholes, a result of ongoing monsoon rains and insufficient road maintenance.
Frustrated by the poor road conditions, President Murmu expressed her concern in a strongly-worded letter to the Pune Police. 'ABP Majha' has reported this development.
The roads of Pune have been deteriorating, especially in areas where construction projects such as the Shivajinagar to Hinjewadi metro and flyover are underway.
The constant delays and potholes caused by these projects have led to increased traffic congestion. Although meetings have been held between Pune's Municipal Corporation, PMRDA, and traffic police to find a solution, no significant improvement has been seen on the roads, further complicating travel for daily commuters.
President Murmu’s letter seems to have spurred local authorities into action. Following her communication, the Pune Police forwarded the concerns to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), requesting immediate repairs before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the city.
This has brought the longstanding issue of road maintenance to the forefront, as Pune's pothole problem is now seen as not just an inconvenience but a serious safety hazard.
Pune has seen an increase in accidents due to these neglected potholes, raising concerns about the administration’s commitment to public safety. There have been numerous minor and major accidents across the city, with some even resulting in fatalities.
Citizens are now questioning whether the municipal corporation is waiting for more accidents or even deaths before taking decisive action to fix the roads.
To address the issue, efforts have been made to repair potholes since August 26. According to the latest figures, a total of 432 potholes have been filled, with 1,334 metric tons of asphalt used to cover 1,981 square meters of road area. In addition, 36 chambers have been repaired.