Chakan traffic jam conditions worsened on the Pune-Nashik Highway and the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur route as industrial workers and residents travelled to their hometowns for Diwali, with vehicles forming queues several kilometres long and some commuters taking two to three hours to cover a distance of just one kilometre.
The congestion has been reported across the Chakan industrial area and nearby locations including Kharabwadi, Khalumbre and Mahalunge. Private vehicles, buses, goods carriers and two-wheelers entered the roads at the same time after workers received holidays and bonuses, placing heavy pressure on the corridors connecting the industrial belt with Pune, Nashik and Shikrapur.
The traffic build-up has affected families travelling for the festival, with children, women and senior citizens facing prolonged delays. The congestion has also created difficulties for freight movement through one of the region’s major industrial zones, where passenger and commercial traffic share the same road network.
According to Vikrant Deshmukh, deputy commissioner of police in the Pimpri-Chinchwad traffic division, the number of vehicles rose sharply because a large number of citizens were leaving for their hometowns. Heavy vehicles coming from the Shikrapur side on the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur route have been completely restricted during the seven-day Diwali period between 7 am and 11 am, and again between 4 pm and 9 pm.
Despite the restriction, the surge in passenger traffic has resulted in severe congestion on the main routes. The affected stretch includes the Pune-Nashik Highway as well as the road linking Talegaon, Chakan and Shikrapur, leaving travellers with extended waiting times and limited movement through junctions and industrial-area approaches.
Residents and travellers have questioned why a permanent solution has not been implemented for a disruption that occurs every year during the festival period. The recurring congestion has also led to demands for stronger traffic management at key junctions, particularly when industrial travel patterns and festival-related movement overlap.
Suggested measures include deploying additional traffic police at major intersections, imposing stricter daytime restrictions on heavy vehicles such as containers and trailers, and arranging alternative routes for travellers. The current heavy-vehicle restrictions and traffic management measures are being implemented during the Diwali travel period, according to the Pimpri-Chinchwad traffic department.
