Kalyan road potholes on the busy Gandharnagar stretch in Khadakpada, Kalyan West, have triggered anger among residents and commuters just days before Ganeshotsav, despite orders from the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation to improve roads in its jurisdiction before the festival.
The road in the Gandharnagar area is used by school buses, private vehicles, pedestrians, ambulances and two-wheelers. Residents and local traders told Loksatta that several potholes remain on the route and that movement has become difficult, particularly during rain when water makes the depth of the potholes difficult to judge.
According to the report, residents have questioned why the road remains in poor condition even though Khadakpada is a heavily occupied middle-class neighbourhood and several senior civic and government officials are understood to live in the area. They have sought the intervention of KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goyal and demanded action against the responsible contractor and officials.
The road is also used by school buses travelling to various schools in Kalyan West. Residents said passengers experience repeated jolts while travelling through the damaged section. Water splashes onto pedestrians using the road, with schoolchildren and parents among those facing the greatest inconvenience.
Residents also cited risks to ambulances, senior citizens and elderly people using the route. Two-wheeler and bicycle riders have reportedly slipped after entering potholes whose depth was obscured by water. The report also states that metal sheets have been installed along one side of the road, leaving pedestrians with limited space and requiring them to move cautiously.
The condition of the road has become a particular concern for public Ganeshotsav organisers and residents, who have questioned how idols and festival processions will be taken through the pothole-ridden stretch. They have warned of an agitation if the road is not repaired before the festival.
The issue comes after the municipal commissioner instructed that roads within KDMC limits be brought into proper condition before Ganeshotsav. The report does not provide a fresh statement from the civic administration on the Gandharnagar road, nor does it specify a repair completion date or identify the contractor responsible for the work.
Residents are now seeking immediate repairs and accountability from the municipal administration before the festival begins. The next stated deadline is the start of Ganeshotsav, which the report said was two days away when the complaint was raised.
