Chandani Chowk traffic chaos: Agencies expedite measures to resolve issue after CM Shinde’s visit

NHAI project director Sanjay Kadam said in a press statement, “We are hereby making an appeal to various entities to shift on their own various service lines including those of water supply pipelines, telephone cables, power distribution lines and optical fibre cables till September 10. The NHAI will not be responsible for any damages to these lines during the demolition.”

The district administration, police and Pune Municipal Corporation, and the NHAI swung into action after Shinde’s convoy, on its way to Mahabaleshwar in Satara, was stuck in a traffic jam at Chandani Chowk on Friday. A group of agitated commuters had made the Maharashtra chief minister come out of his vehicle and complained to him about the daily nightmare of traffic jams at the spot.

Eknath Shinde visited the area along with senior officials on Sunday afternoon and took stock of the situation. Speaking to the media after the visit, the CM assured all agencies are collectively working to resolve the issue and the citizens will soon get respite.

As part of its efforts to bring structural improvements to road infrastructure in the area, the NHAI has undertaken the project to construct a new flyover at Chandani Chowk and its connecting roads. An older overpass connecting Bavdhan to NDA and Mulshi area is being demolished.

Pimpri Chinchwad police, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, said traffic police officials and constables along with traffic wardens have been deployed round the clock to better the traffic management in the area, especially during peak hours.

Deputy Commissioner of Police with Pimpri Chinchwad jurisdiction Anand Bhoite said, “Earlier, the traffic management of the area under the jurisdiction of Hinjewadi police was with a single unit. Because of the vast area of responsibility, there were some hurdles in traffic flow management.”

“Now, we have taken a decision to form a separate unit for the traffic management of the area from the Sus underpass to Chandani Chowk, which includes the seven-kilometre stretch of the highway. Dedicated strength of 25 traffic police and 50 traffic wardens is being allocated for this unit. This staff will be posted at the areas with possible traffic snarls round the clock focussing on the peak hours,” added Bhoite.

When asked about the differences between the jurisdiction limits between Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police units, Shinde told reporters during the visit, “All units have been asked to work together and coordinate. Let’s not go into what has happened in the past, let’s focus on what we can do now.”

Ongoing road construction work and road diversions put in place to facilitate the work has been causing traffic jams in the Chandani Chowk area for the last few months.