Repair of rain-ravaged roads in Pune Cantonment begins after much delay

Pune: After months of delay and a series of complaints from people, the Local Military Authority (LMA) has finally commenced the long-pending repair work on roads across civil and military areas within the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) limits. Several key arterial and internal roads were damaged by excessive monsoon rainfall this year. Local residents and daily commuters repeatedly flagged the deteriorating condition, citing frequent vehicle breakdowns, traffic snarls and a heightened risk of accidents.
However, both the cantonment authorities and LMA could not take up immediate repairs due to the time-consuming completion of mandatory tender procedures, officials said.Among the worst-affected stretches were internal roads such as East Street, MG Road, Coyaji Road and Kauhan Road, in addition to portions of the busy Pune-Solapur highway passing through the cantonment area. These roads serve as critical links for both civilian and military traffic and witness heavy vehicular movement throughout the day."The work already commenced, and the repairs are being carried out in a proper and systematic manner to cater to the volume of traffic that passes through the cantonment," a senior LMA official said, adding priority is being given to the most damaged roads.The official said some of these roads were also repaired by the Pune Municipal Corporation on the requisition made by PCB in the recent past. "The Military Engineering Services will soon begin work on 4.5-km roads in military and civil pockets. So far, we have repaired the stretch on MM Road from Council Hall junction to the National War Memorial, Southern Command; the stretch on Arjun Road from the war memorial to Turf Club junction; on Moledina Road from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk to Mahesh Lunch Home; East Street; MG Road; Solapur Road; and Kondhwa Road," the officer added.Over the past few months, large potholes, uneven surfaces and waterlogged patches have turned these routes into traffic bottlenecks. Commuters reported longer travel times, particularly during peak hours. Local shopkeepers and residents also complained that poor road conditions were affecting footfall and access to essential services.Officials said the repair work would be carried out in phases to minimise disruptions, especially on roads that serve as key connectors between the cantonment and the rest of the city. Traffic management measures are also being coordinated with local authorities and police to ensure a smoother movement during the repair period, they said.Residents and activists have urged authorities to ensure timely completion and long-term durability. They have also called for better coordination between military and civilian authorities to avoid such prolonged delays in the future, particularly in areas where public inconvenience and safety are at stake.Rajabhau Chavan, an activist, said, "Ideally, the maintenance of these roads should have been done much earlier. Regular commuters are already facing a tough time. But yes, this repair work will bring some relief to them. The authorities concerned should avoid such long delay in the future."A trader from MG Road said, "We feel ignored as we have been using pothole-riddled roads for the last few months. The condition of the roads in Pune Cantonment used to be the best. Repair should have been done during the monsoon."