Simply Pune

To Sourabh Purani and his friends Hemant Shingate,Amit Kulkarni and Sandeep Joshi,the bridge is much more than just a place to hangout. “This has been a spot where I have met most of my long lost friends and so is special to me. After a long day job search and disappointments,this place helps me unwind and distress my self.”

Shingate adds,“We indulge in various discussions ranging from politics,sports,education to personal problems. The open air here opens our mind too.”

Kulkarni says,“The fact that it is centrally located and caters to the crowd of both the parts of the city makes it more popular. Less pollution,riverside,and good crowd are among the factors that pulls us here. It’s amazing that youngsters prefer malls and pubs to such serene place. Thankfully,because of that we get less crowd here.”

Not only is the bridge a popular place with gangs of girls or boys and lovebirds,one can spot elders’s kattas here as well.

For Ramesh Balerao,50,an evening walk on Z-bridge is a ritual. “I come here daily with my family and evn at times,when they can’t make it and I am alone,I don’t discontinue. Earlier there was no bridge here and people would sit on the riverside. But the spot has always been a part of my life.”

Naldini Malve and Manda Niphadkar are sisters and love to catch some quiet moment at the bridge. “It’s near to my sister’s house,so we find it convenient and good to come here. We have been coming here since past 22 years.”

Gajanand Pawar and Sachin Pawar run food stalls under the bridge. “This place is better known as Deccan River Chowpatty. And most of our income is due to the river and bridge,which attracts huge crowd. However,we do face problem during floods.”