The prolonged suspension of the Development Plan (DP) road construction between Warje Jakat Naka and Tirupati Nagar has reignited public anger, with local residents demanding swift intervention from city officials. The 600-metre stretch in Ward No. 31, a crucial connector for daily commuters, has been left incomplete for over 15 days, leading to mounting frustration and deteriorating civic order.
The road project, sanctioned in 2017 with a budget of ₹5 crore, has seen multiple interruptions over the years. The latest halt stems from the exhaustion of the sanctioned tender amount, according to the Road Department’s engineering team. With no clarity on additional funding or timeline for resumption, residents are left navigating through encroachments, stalled vehicles and unsafe infrastructure. Residents say the stalled road has turned into an urban blackspot. Illegal parking, hawkers, and unauthorised tempo stands now dominate the unfinished route, rendering it unusable for vehicular or pedestrian movement. Citizens have begun to question the transparency and accountability of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), accusing the administration of ignoring infrastructure gaps while publicly touting developmental achievements.
According to civic engineers, the delay is compounded by lack of inter-departmental coordination. Major roadblocks to progress include three mature trees, a partially razed electricity board structure, and unresolved land encroachments all of which require clearance from various civic arms. However, departments including road, parks, encroachment removal, and property survey continue to pass the responsibility among themselves. Experts point out that this is not merely a case of a delayed construction project but a systemic failure in municipal governance. With rapid urbanisation in fringe areas like Warje, infrastructure needs have surged, but resource allocation, departmental synergy and citizen feedback remain low on the priority list. Locals argue that developmental works are being greenlit with no checks on delivery, resulting in wastage of public funds.
Residents are now threatening to take their protest to the streets unless work resumes immediately. They have called on the Municipal Commissioner to directly intervene and issue instructions for expediting the pending clearances and financial approvals.The Warje corridor is a critical part of Pune’s suburban transit grid, and the delay in its completion is affecting not just residents but also regional connectivity. For a city striving to align itself with sustainable and inclusive urban growth, such administrative lapses expose the fragility of civic systems and highlight the urgent need for reform.As the monsoon intensifies, the stalled road is also posing drainage and safety hazards, raising additional environmental concerns. The public sentiment remains strong the city needs not just concrete roads but also a transparent, coordinated approach to infrastructure development that reflects accountability to its citizens.
