Vivek Jagtap, proprietor of Shree Sai Enterprises, often pays extra to transport the special machinery his firm manufactures to the client’s site, thanks to the tattered road in front of his company site in the T block of Bhosari industrial area in Pimpri-Chinchwad. “The machinery we make weighs more than a tonne due to which it requires heavy cranes to lift them. But given the pothole-ridden roads, such vehicles often refuse to come and we have to pay extra for transport,” he said. The cost of loading and unloading, Jagtap said, can’t be billed to the customer, and thus eats into their profit. “We have written to Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) many times to repair roads but nothing has been done,” he said. Vivek Telkar, owner of Sharp Automotive Parts, a company located in the block, is also fed up with the broken road in front of his industrial unit. In the last year, PCMC has been cementing the internal road which has made it difficult for Telkar and other industrialists in the area to carry on regular business. Telkar, who is involved in manufacturing automotive parts, said the dug up road has increased their loading and unloading expenses. “We have been told that the road work will be complete in a year. Let us hope the civic body keeps its word,” he said. Many industrialists in the city's industrial zones complain that their grievances about poor roads in the area have fallen on deaf ears. Spread across Bhosari, Nigdi, Chinchwad and Pimpri, over 3,000–4,000 small and medium-scale industries operate in the belt where over 3–4 lakh people are employed. The area, an important hub for auto and auto component industries, is spread across Bhosari-Nigdi road extending into Indrayaninagar and other areas. The initial infrastructure of the area was developed by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) after which it was handed over to PCMC. Sanjay Satav, Vice Chairman of Pimpri-Chinchwad Small and Medium Scale Industries Association, said industries are a major source of revenue for the civic body. “The main roads are well taken care of, but the internal roads in front of our units have been neglected for years and are in need of urgent repair,” said Abhay Bhor, president of the Forum of Small Scale Industries. For want of internal roads, most industrialists pay more to load and unload heavy machinery or finished products, as transport vehicles refuse to come to the door step. Jagtap and others said they pay 5-10 per cent extra labour charges just to transport raw material or finished products to the goods carriers. Some like Ganesh Landge of Muktai Constructions have been complaining about roads for eight years now. However, Landge whose company is near Quality Circle on Bhosari Nigdi Road, is yet to see potholes being filled or roads being laid. “I have paid over Rs 4 crore in commercial taxes to PCMC but the road is yet to materialise,” he said. Landge’s problem is compounded by the fact that his area even lacks street light poles. While potholes and loose gravel make commuting difficult during summer and winter, during monsoon the situation is a nighmare. Jagtap said he and 36 other industrialists in T-block have been pooling in resources to fill potholes to prevent their business from coming to a halt. “At times foreign visitors come to our plants. Bringing them to the plant is an embarrassment to us,” said Jagtap who recently exchanged his sedan for an SUV to reduce the misery of travel. Vijay Joshi, who runs a small canteen in J block of MIDC, said that for the last three weeks, the road in front of his canteen has been dug up. “After the monsoon, PCMC dug up the road, which is in a pathetic condition since. Water logging is a permanent feature after every rain,” he said. Joshi’s canteen is frequented by many employees working in MIDC who often have trouble negotiating the water-logged road. “We have written to the ward office but no solution has emerged so far,” he said. At T block, crane owner Khandu Mhaske has to circumvent a severely broken patch of the road while delivering raw material to industrial units. “Some industrialists had pooled in funds to repair the road but it soon turned into rubble. We need a permanent solution,” he said. Mhaske’s drivers carry 70 tonnes of steel plates for auto industries and bad roads are often a challenge to them. “This area has numerous industries and we often have foreign visitors. Bad roads right in front of our units do not give a good impression,” he said. PCMC Assistant Municipal Commissioner Yashwant Dange said the condition of internal roads has been discussed and the civic body will take corrective steps. “The matter is under consideration and we will soon take action,” he said.
