Pune, 19 November 2025: A major traffic congestion happened on the Sinhagad Road flyover in Pune on Wednesday morning after a JCB machine broke down in the middle of the road during ongoing water supply work. The incident occurred during peak hours, leading to long queues both on the flyover and underneath it.
The Pune Municipal Corporation has spent around ₹118 crore on the flyover to reduce congestion on the busy route. However, regular bottle-necks near this stretch continue to cause delays, especially towards Swargate in the mornings and towards Dhayari in the evenings.
Despite earlier instructions that essential works such as water supply repairs should be carried out at night, the water supply department began digging work at Vishranti Chowk early in the morning.
While the work was underway, the JCB stopped functioning right in the middle of the road. Hundreds of commuters heading to offices, schools and daily errands were stuck for nearly half an hour.
At the time of the jam, no PMC staff members were present at the spot, nor had they informed the traffic department about the work. As a result, traffic police could not plan diversions or regulate the flow in advance. Photos and videos of the jam circulated widely on social media, following which traffic police rushed to the location.
Police brought in a crane, shifted the stalled JCB to the side and gradually cleared the congestion stretching nearly one kilometre.
When contacted, Water Supply Department Head Nandakishor Jagtap said he was not aware of the exact situation and would gather information about the incident.
Traffic Inspector Sunil Gawali said the department had not been informed in advance about the water supply work at Vishranti Chowk. He added that police removed the JCB and restored the traffic flow, stressing that the civic body must give prior notice whenever such work is carried out to ensure proper coordination.