Residents raise pitch for quick removal of all encroachments

With several companies setting up shops in the area and pressing into service heavy vehicles, residents rue that commuting along the stretch is increasingly becoming a nightmare.
Vinod Kumar Jain, president of Wagholi Housing Societies Association, said, "Vehicles of IT and construction companies plying on the 5.5km stretch between Eon IT park and Wagheshwar temple are creating congestion. Funds allocated to the PWD for executing projects here were diverted to the Centre's Bharat Mala project. We have requested PMRDA not to give permission to construct buildings till the infrastructure is improved."

Inspector Sarjerao Patil, in-charge of the Lonikand police station, said, "The distance between Kesnand phata and Awalwadi phata is around 100m and vehicles coming from all sides are creating congestion. The situation is serious at Kesnand, Lonikand, Perne, Awalwadi, Wagholi and Wadebolhai."

Namrata Reddy, executive engineer of PWD (projects), said the Pune-Ahmednagar highway with a width of 7.5mt was maintained by the department because it came under the state highway. "The highway now comes under the National Highways Authority of India . We have prepared a detailed project report for widening the road and constructing a flyover. The state will decide who will execute the project, PWD or NHAI."

Aarti Sonagra, president of Nagar Road Citizens Forum said, "A plan is in place for widening the road, but land acquisition has not taken place due to the encroachers."

Former Wagholi gram panchayat sarpanch Rambhau Dabhade said PMRDA should prepare a long-term planning report to improve infrastructure.

Wagholi resident Vilas Kand feels a flyover can tide over the problem. "Traffic snarls are also a result of thousands of people visiting the weekly market on the Wagholi main road on Tuesdays. If the market is relocated, the congestion will ease."

Prajakta Argekar from Mumbai said, "I recently visited Ahmednagar and it took me two hours to reach Pune. But from Pune, it took me four hours to reach Ahmednagar as the car was halted at Wagholi for over one-and-a-half hour."

Pune resident Parag Shukla, a resident from Pune said, "I was stuck in the Wagholi traffic last week for hours and saw an ambulance struggling to move an inch forward."

Banker Seema Giri said, "The situation is terrible at the Kharadi bypass junction around 8pm as vehicles from Ranjangaon and Sanaswadi crowd the spot."