IT employees, local residents and civic groups held a silent march in Pune’s Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi IT Park on Sunday, protesting deteriorating infrastructure, traffic congestion, poor roads and water-supply problems in the rapidly expanding Hinjawadi-Maan-Marunji area. The protest began at Infosys Circle and is scheduled to conclude at the same location after passing through Shivaji Chowk.
The demonstration, organised under the banner of a “Smart IT City” campaign, has brought together local farmers, residents’ welfare associations, employee groups and housing federations. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray also participated in the protest, according to the report by Loksatta – Pune.
Participants carried placards and raised demands concerning roads, public transport, water supply, traffic management and coordination between government agencies. The protest has been described as peaceful, with organisers saying that repeated follow-up with the government had not produced a significant improvement in the area’s civic conditions.
Hinjawadi, Maan and Marunji have seen substantial urbanisation and industrial expansion around the IT park over the past several years. However, protesters said that roads, transport systems, water supply and other civic facilities have not expanded at the same pace as the population and economic activity. The area is also divided among multiple government agencies, which organisers identified as a reason for delays in urban development work.
The area faces daily congestion affecting IT employees, local residents and students. Protesters cited damaged roads and inadequate water supply as serious concerns and called for the government to resolve the issues within defined timelines. The demands include the urgent settlement of land-acquisition issues for roads, faster implementation of the Maan-Shivajinagar Metro, and a joint meeting of all relevant government agencies in Hinjawadi under the chief minister’s direction.
Other demands include the creation of a separate municipal corporation for the Hinjawadi-Maan-Marunji area and monthly review meetings chaired by the district collector. Protesters have also sought measures to ease congestion near the Wakad flyover, Bhumkar Chowk, Punawale and Tathawade underground passages.
The list of demands further includes reserving two TMC of water from the Mulshi dam for the area, doubling the strength of traffic police personnel and holding regular quarterly reviews chaired by the chief minister. The organisers said coordinated administrative action was needed because the expanding IT and residential districts currently fall under multiple agencies.
The protest comes as Hinjawadi continues to function as a major employment and residential hub while its surrounding infrastructure remains a central concern for workers and residents. The organisers’ immediate demand is for government authorities to establish deadlines and a coordinated mechanism to address the area’s road, transport, water and civic infrastructure problems.
