New year resolution: To complete ongoing infrastructure work

The major hit due to the delay in infrastructure work has been to traffic and public transport affecting almost every citizen of the city. The ongoing road and flyover work on Ganeshkhind road, Sinhagad road, Katraj-Kondhwa road, Ahmednagar road and Baner road have been adding to the woes of commuters.

Rakesh Gaikwad of Katraj who travels every day to Kharadi for his job says that the PMC has been failing in completing any infrastructure work on time and the citizens have to pay for it. (File)

The new year is going to be a tough year for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) as it faces a daunting task to meet the infrastructure needs of the citizens considering the expansion and increasing population of the city. The civic administration faced a lot of criticism in the year due to delay in completing the ongoing infrastructure work and taking up new projects. Thus, the civic body has decided to focus on completing the ongoing infrastructure work rather than taking up new work.

The major hit due to the delay in infrastructure work has been to traffic and public transport affecting almost every citizen of the city. The ongoing road and flyover work on Ganeshkhind road, Sinhagad road, Katraj-Kondhwa road, Ahmednagar road and Baner road have been adding to the woes of commuters.

Completion of ongoing works

“The new year resolution is to complete the ongoing project that would solve the traffic problems across the city.

The main target is to complete the flyover work on Sinhagad road, speed up the work on Katraj-Kondhwa road by resolving all the hurdles and widening of Ganeshkhind road to ease the traffic issues due to flyover and metro work,” said additional municipal commissioner Vikas Dhakane.

Rakesh Gaikwad of Katraj who travels every day to Kharadi for his job says that the PMC has been failing in completing any infrastructure work on time and the citizens have to pay for it.

“It is very difficult to commute on city roads. The roads have heavy traffic and the ongoing work of roads, flyovers, and the metro has caused a lot of risk to commuters and pedestrians leading to accidents,” he says.

Model roads

The PMC has also taken up two important projects of developing 15 main roads as model roads for the city with proper infrastructure development and beautification as well as development of link roads, he said the work on these roads will be speeded up as they would ease a lot of traffic issues of the city.

Ebbing water woes

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Other main ongoing projects that need to be speeded up include the development of equitable water supply system in the city which has been extending its deadline for completion. The project of river rejuvenation by treating all the sewage water being generated in the city has been delayed due to various reasons.

“The Pune city infrastructure is in chaos on all fronts. The PMC has failed to complete the equitable water supply system for the old part of city and in no where close to meet the demands of the newly merged villages. The sewage treatment has been merely on paper. Instead the civic body is focusing on beautifying the Mutha river while it should focus on stopping it from getting polluted…has failed to provide efficient public transport but creating infrastructure for private vehicles leading to increase in air pollution,” said Prashant Inamdar, Expert.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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