Damaged chambers, potholes turn Nigdi-Pimpri service road into daily ordeal

He added that even after fresh bitumen surfacing of the road from Nigdi Chowk to Bajaj Auto in Akurdi, engineers kept the drainage chambers at their original level while the new road surface is considerably higher.

Uneven drainage chamber on the service road in Nigdi.

Pradip Patil, an electrical technician who also travels the same route regularly, said the chambers pose a direct safety hazard. “All the chambers are exactly in the middle of the road. When travelling behind a car or bus, motorists cannot judge the chamber’s location and depth, and lose their balance – it is a major risk, particularly for pregnant women and the elderly.”

Patil added that the chambers are not maintained flush with the road surface, unlike what was done in Pune city during the Grand Tour cycling event. “This damages the vehicle’s suspension, adding to maintenance costs and causing back and neck pain,” he said.

He also pointed to severe congestion on the stretch. “There is regular congestion on the service road near Nigdi, Akurdi, Chinchwad, and other entry points, especially during peak hours, as only one lane is in use and even that is in damaged condition because of the large, disoriented chamber holes. I am often late to work, because of the traffic snarl” Patil said.

Several school buses and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses frequently use the narrow service road. “It is not just the people who travel in public transport who face safety issues – many children commute in these buses that have to pass through this road, and serious accidents could take place,” said Sagar Bramhande, another regular commuter.

Shantanu stressed that the problem calls for advance planning. “Civic administration along with Pune Metro officials should have planned regular road maintenance well in advance, as the metro work will take years to complete and there will be regular excavation causing damage,” he said.

Speaking to the Indian Express, Bapusaheb Gaikwad, Joint City Engineer, PCMC, said, “In a recent meeting, we have asked Pune Metro officials to repair the chambers along the Nigdi-Chinchwad service road stretch and bring all the uneven chambers to road surface level as carried out during the Pune Grand Tour cycling race. It will take around three weeks to complete this work.”