Pune, 8th April 2026: In a major step to improve roadwork safety and planning, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to make Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys mandatory before undertaking any road development or repair work in the city.
Contractors will now be allowed to begin excavation only after completing this advanced underground mapping process.
The decision aims to address frequent incidents of damage to underground utilities such as water pipelines, drainage lines, stormwater drains, Mahanagar Gas pipelines, electricity cables, and telecom networks. Such damage often leads to service disruptions and, in some cases, accidents during roadwork.
Officials stated that the lack of a consolidated underground utility map has been a major challenge for the civic body. As a result, excavation work has largely depended on estimation, increasing the risk of hitting critical service lines. By using GPR technology, authorities expect to accurately detect and map these utilities before digging begins.
The PMC’s road department has now made it compulsory for contractors to carry out these surveys after applying for excavation permission. The cost of the survey must be included in the project’s initial estimate itself.
According to officials, this move will not only reduce accidental damage to underground infrastructure but also improve coordination and efficiency in road development works across the city.