The widening of Pune’s Katraj-Kondhwa Road is facing fresh delays because electricity and water supply departments have not moved utility infrastructure quickly enough, putting the municipal commissioner’s target of completing a 50-metre-wide road by March 2027 under pressure.
The project has remained delayed for several years because of land acquisition issues and disputes over political credit. Work gained momentum after Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and District Collector Jitendra Dudi initiated land acquisition through a special legal process on 14 May. The acquisition was conducted through Land Acquisition Officer No. 15.
Following the land acquisition, the municipal administration instructed the concerned departments to undertake drainage works, stormwater lines, underground electrical cabling and the relocation of water supply pipelines. The municipal commissioner has also been holding weekly meetings and conducting site inspections to accelerate the project.
Work on stormwater and drainage lines between Rajs Society and Gokulnagar has progressed rapidly, according to the report. Around 70% of the service road work has also been completed, while work on the remaining sections and the grade separator at Maulinagar is under way.
However, the relocation of electrical infrastructure and water supply lines has proceeded slowly. The delay is affecting road crossings and preventing some sections of the widening work from moving forward. The electricity infrastructure includes a transformer and electrical lines on the left side of the road, while an electricity supply line runs along the right side, creating obstacles for the planned road alignment.
The municipal administration’s objective is to complete a 50-metre-wide road by March 2027. Continued delays in shifting utilities could affect the sequencing of the remaining construction work and extend disruption for residents and motorists using the Katraj-Kondhwa corridor.
Local resident advocate Ramchandra Sonkamble said the departments should work with the same urgency as the municipal commissioner, adding that residents should not face another delay in the road widening project.
Rahul Gosavi, a sub-engineer in the electricity department, said the location of the electrical infrastructure had created difficulties during road crossings. He said some work could not proceed until the service road boundaries were physically demarcated, but added that the electricity department would speed up and complete its work.
The next critical steps are the relocation of the remaining utility infrastructure and the completion of the service roads, drainage systems and the Maulinagar grade separator before the March 2027 completion target.
