Pune, 9th August 2025: Pune witnessed massive traffic snarls on Saturday as residents headed out to celebrate Raksha Bandhan. Since morning, heavy congestion was reported on all major entry and exit points of the city, with long queues stretching for several kilometres. The situation affected not just highways, but also central city roads and suburban areas.
On the Pune–Nashik Highway, traffic slowed to a crawl near Chakan, with heavy goods vehicles and private cars adding to the load. Similar scenes played out in Hinjewadi, Baner, Wakad, Hadapsar, and Katraj, where festival-bound commuters caused prolonged delays.
By afternoon, the return rush of travellers combined with intermittent rain worsened conditions, forcing vehicles to move at a snail’s pace. Busy city stretches like Swargate, Shivajinagar, Pune Station, Laxmi Road, and Kothrud saw gridlock, while crowded marketplaces added to the chaos for both drivers and pedestrians.
Industrial and festival traffic together created major bottlenecks in areas such as Alandi Phata, Moshi, and Bhosari. Roads leading to Mumbai from the IT hub of Hinjewadi were jammed as employees began their holiday travel. In the east, Hadapsar, Fursungi, and Wagholi faced similar issues, while the Katraj tunnel area was clogged with vehicles heading towards villages.
Key connecting routes, including Sinhgad Road, Karve Road, NDA Road, and Solapur Road, remained backed up for hours. In some areas, covering a distance of just 2–3 kilometres took more than 30 minutes. Traffic police deployed extra personnel and diverted vehicles to alternate routes, but the sheer number of cars meant delays persisted throughout the day.
