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IT employees working at Hinjewadi, a suburb in Pune known for its high concentration of tech companies and business parks, have demanded a remote working option in view of the torrential rains. The employees said incessant rain has worsened the traffic snarls in Hinjewadi, which houses offices of IT giants and sees over 3 lakh people commuting from various parts of the city.
During peak office hours, traffic snarls have stretched for kilometres and last for more than an hour, especially at the exit and entry points of the IT park, said Pavanjit Mane of the Forum of IT Employees (FITE), a body representing IT employees.
Employees have demanded work-from-home options with the India Meteorological Department sounding orange and yellow alerts for heavy rain in Pune and its surrounding regions.
“Under these conditions, WFH is the most logical option that should be explored,” Mane added.
“Most employees travel using personal vehicles, while some companies have transport facilities. Like other parts of Pune, the recent spell of pre-monsoon showers has seen the traffic infrastructure in Hinjewadi almost collapse. Commuters have to spend more than two hours on the roads, and the situation worsens during the evenings when a large number of employees leave for home,” Mane said.
Even otherwise, traffic conditions in Hinjewadi have been a pain point as narrow exit and entry roads are often choked by vehicles. Given the growth of the IT industry in the area, many residential constructions have come up in the area, and the captive population has increased. Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have assured of better infrastructure to ease the traffic.
Ketki, a software engineer from Pune, said she spends almost 4-5 hours commuting from her office to home. “Due to the ongoing Metro work, travelling takes a toll, resulting in a loss of productivity. We request that work from home option be allowed during the rainy season,” she said.
Given the heavy rain, many IT companies in Bengaluru have already allowed their employees to switch to a remote working mode.
