Pune, 4th July 2026: A spell of heavy rain on Friday brought city's traffic to a crawl, exposing gaps in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) monsoon preparedness.
Waterlogged roads, clogged drainage lines, potholes and ongoing infrastructure work combined to create massive traffic jams across the city, leaving thousands of commuters stranded during the evening rush hour.
Traffic slowed considerably on key roads connecting central Pune with the suburbs, including Shivaji Road, Bajirao Road, Shanipar, the Congress Bhavan-Ghole Road stretch, Fergusson College Road, Senapati Bapat Road and Laxmi Road near Nagarkar Talim Chowk.
Traffic diversions on Shivaji Road due to Sankashti Chaturthi and the closure of Bhide Bridge for Metro construction further increased congestion in the old city.
The impact was also felt in Mangalwar Peth, the Pune Railway Station area, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan, the Collector's Office and East Street in Camp, where slow-moving traffic led to long delays for commuters.
The combination of heavy rainfall, peak-hour traffic and inadequate drainage brought several important roads to a standstill. Vehicles moved at a snail's pace across central Pune as commuters spent extended periods stuck in traffic. Areas connecting the old city with commercial and residential neighbourhoods witnessed the worst congestion.
Overflowing drainage lines led to waterlogging at Shahir Amar Sheikh Chowk, Seven Loves Chowk and Tadigutta Chowk, while low-lying stretches near Radha Hotel Chowk in Baner and North Main Road in Koregaon Park also remained submerged.
In the eastern and southern parts of Pune, potholes on roads connecting Hadapsar, Dhayari, Wanowrie, Fatimanagar, Bhairoba Nala and Solapur Road significantly slowed traffic and created bottlenecks.
Traffic conditions deteriorated further on the Pune-Bengaluru Highway service roads, where waterlogging and the narrow underpass at Punawale caused vehicles to get stuck.
At the same time, sewer line repair work between Jehangir Hospital Chowk and Mangaldas Road forced authorities to close the stretch, diverting traffic towards Bund Garden and increasing congestion. Dug-up roads that had not been restored also contributed to delays.
Residents expressed frustration over the recurring traffic chaos, blaming inadequate monsoon planning and poor coordination between civic and traffic authorities.
They said clogged drains, unfinished roadworks and deteriorating road conditions continue to cause severe disruption whenever the city experiences moderate to heavy rainfall, raising fresh questions over Pune's infrastructure preparedness.
