Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun asphalting the road running through the riverbed from Rajput Vasti to Baba Bhide Bridge. However, despite partial completion, the road remains uneven, with certain sections elevated and others sunken, leading to a rough and uncomfortable ride for commuters.
The road is divided between two administrative zones:
Rajput Vasti to S.M. Joshi Bridge falls under the Warje-Karvenagar ward office
S.M. Joshi Bridge to Bhide Bridge falls under the Shivajinagar-Ghole Road ward office
The project is being executed under the supervision of two executive engineers from PMC’s roads department. However, concerns over poor execution and lack of proper levelling have been raised.
A survey conducted by 'Sakal' found nearly 90 patchy sections along the stretch. The asphalt layering has not been compacted properly, leading to an uneven surface that causes jolts to motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders.
Following the exposé, the PMC allocated ₹1.25 crore in December 2024 to completely reconstruct the road, with a tender issued for the work. However, it took two months for actual construction to begin.
Issues with Execution
The road from Rajput Vasti to S.M. Joshi Bridge has been asphalted, but uneven patches and unexpected bumps resembling speed breakers have been reported.
The section from S.M. Joshi Bridge to Swatantryaveer Savarkar Memorial is still under construction, with only surface scraping completed.
The final stage from the memorial to Baba Bhide Bridge is yet to begin.
Concerns have been raised about the quality of work in the initial phase, leading to fears that the remaining stretch may also suffer similar issues.
Superintending Engineer Sahebrao Dandge from the PMC Roads Department assured that the road will be constructed properly. "The asphalting work from Rajput Vasti to Baba Bhide Bridge is in progress. The road will be levelled appropriately.
Any sections where improper work has been done will be corrected. Currently, one layer of asphalt has been applied, and the final bituminous concrete (BC) layer is yet to be laid," he said.
