Bumpy ride ahead as PCMC unlikely to complete road repairs before monsoon

Pune: Areas of Pimpri Chinchwad are staring at another monsoon of pothole-ridden roads, as most of the road repair works planned by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are unlikely to be completed before the onset of the rains.

Civic officials attributed the delay to a combination of factors, including the model code of conduct for the ongoing MLC elections, a surge in road excavation works for Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) pipeline projects and fluctuations in bitumen price linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

A GIS-based survey conducted by the civic body earlier this year identified 56 road stretches requiring urgent repairs before the monsoon. However, work orders have been issued for only six of these projects so far. Data from the civic administration showed that B and E wards accounted for the highest number of repair proposals, with 10 each. Yet, work orders were issued for only two projects in B ward, while all 10 proposals in E ward remain pending.

The survey recommended repairs on around 305km of roads at an estimated cost of Rs 243 crore. The proposed works include 14 types of interventions, such as pothole filling, sealing cracks in concrete roads, chamber repairs, road restoration and other maintenance measures across the city.

“Works worth only around Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore could be approved before the poll code came into force,” a senior PCMC official said.

Officials said the repair schedule was already delayed as the civic administration took time to finalise tenders following the formation of the newly elected general body earlier this year. As a result, road maintenance works, which typically begin in Feb, could not be initiated on schedule.

The situation was further compounded by large-scale road excavation for piped natural gas (PNG) projects. Under central government guidelines, permissions for such works are deemed approved within 24 hours, allowing agencies to begin digging immediately. However, restoration of the affected road stretches is the responsibility of the civic body.

“As road excavation increased significantly, the burden of restoration work also went up. At the same time, pre-monsoon road repairs were pending, affecting the overall schedule,” the official said.

While potholes that emerge during the monsoon will be addressed as complaints are received, officials said comprehensive road repairs cannot be undertaken during heavy rains. These works are now likely to be carried out only after the monsoon.

The delay will leave commuters across the industrial township navigating damaged and uneven roads throughout the rainy season. Residents criticised the civic body’s failure to complete repairs on time, saying the delays would cause unnecessary hardship.

Dattatray Deshmukh, a resident of Wakad, blamed the civic administration for poor planning and said the delays could have been avoided with timely action.

“The municipal corporation cannot keep citing one reason after another. Proper planning should have been done well in advance. The city already struggles with inadequate drainage and road infrastructure, leading to waterlogging at several locations during the monsoon. If pothole-ridden roads are submerged under water, they could pose a serious risk to commuters and lead to accidents,” he said.

Sanjay Shinde, a resident of Chinchwad, said, “The roads were riddled with potholes last monsoon as well. These reasons sound more like excuses than genuine explanations for the delays.”