PMC yet to appoint contractor to re-lay dug up Wanowrie Road

This road further connects to Canning Road (leading to Lullanagar chowk), which also experiences traffic bottlenecks due to its narrow width near the Mathurawala ground.

Travellers are fearful that the slow pace of work will further aggravate the situation during the rains. Traffic had virtually ground to a halt on Wanowrie Road and adjoining roads during the recent heavy pre-monsoon showers. Tree branches had fallen on these roads which are still being cleared. Besides, the rains released a lot of loose mud which spilled on to the carriagewidth, making it risky for travel.

Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) officials said that the responsibility of relaying the road rests on the civic body that dug it up for the water pipeline work. This was a project sanctioned by the Ministry of Defence eight years ago to lay a 1,000 mm diameter water pipeline at a three to four km stretch from Wanowrie Road leading up to Canning Road till Fakhri hill. The work finally commenced in April this year. But with unexpected heavy rainfall leading to several trees falling across these roads, the work had slowed down.

At present, the pipeline work on this stretch has been completed, but the road remains untarred, leading to the road becoming narrower and creating a problem for commuters especially during the rain.

PCB officials said a letter had been submitted to the PMC with the undertaking that they would repair the road that has been dug up. When contacted, Nandkishore Jagtap, PMC’s water supply department incharge, said the responsibility to reinistate the road after the pipeline work was of the civic body’s. “The delay reinistating the road was because the cotractor appointed for the purpose backed out. However, the process ro appoint a new contractor has been started and the road will be repaired soon,” he said.

Considering the inconvenience to citizens due to rain, Jagtap said the civic administration will get the work done immediately through other contractor.