Rubble near Pune police chief’s office a threat to bikers

PUNE: Rubble and debris continue to litter the stretch between Nehru Memorial Chowk in Camp and the Pune Police commissioner’s office on Sadhu Vaswani Road, almost three weeks after the PMC dug up the area for carrying out civic works.
The road has been haphazardly reinstated, causing mud and loose stones to lie in a heap and occupy one side of the stretch.
With monsoon nearing, residents fear that the mud and the rubble would spread across the road, posing a threat to motorists.
Even the barricades have been left unattended at the site by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)-appointed contractor. The road was dug up for laying a water pipeline. The PMC has set June 15 deadline for reinstating roads and clearing the debris after completion of civic works.
Vaishali Pawar, a regular commuter, said, “It is very risky to ride my two-wheeler along this stretch. The loose debris can cause my two-wheelers to skid. It will only become worse during the monsoon. This is a prime road, but the debris take up half of the space.”
Mahesh Thakur, who runs a stall near The Nucleus Mall, said, “The road has been reinstated improperly, making it risky for commuters. The debris have been dumped on the road, even the barricades have been left on the road.”
Constable R Meratkar, who was on duty near the Sadhu Vaswani Chowk, said, “Once the signal turns green, two-wheeler riders drive past in a rush, but many of them lose balance on the rubble and fall. This has become an accident-prone zone and the sand and debris need to be cleared soon.”
Vikas Dhakane, additional municipal commissioner, PMC, said, “We will definitely get the work done immediately. If the contractor’s contract mentions reinstatement of the road, then we will definitely impose a penalty on the contractor. No matter who is responsible for this it is causing inconvenience to citizens, so we will get the area cleared of debris.”
(With inputs from Shyam Sonar)