Pune gears up for the monsoon, residents of Lohgaon are staring at a crisis that has become all too familiar—an unpaved, waterlogged road that continues to endanger daily life.
Bharat Mata Road, which links Dhanori Road to the bustling residential zones near Ajeenkya DY Patil University, remains a quagmire of incomplete work and civic apathy. Despite being a critical connector in the rapidly urbanising eastern corridor of Pune, Bharat Mata Road has been left only partially developed for several years. Recent pre-monsoon showers have already rendered the unbuilt stretch almost impassable, with ankle-deep water, eroded surfaces, and large potholes turning what should be a routine commute into a perilous ordeal.
The area around Porwal Road, once considered a promising real estate destination, is now marred by infrastructural neglect that speaks to a larger failure in urban planning. Residents report that the unpaved road becomes entirely unusable even after mild rainfall, making it dangerous for two-wheelers and school-going children. Auto-rickshaws and school buses often refuse to enter the area, citing the risk to vehicles and passengers alike. “This isn’t just a nuisance anymore. It’s a safety hazard,” said a resident of Goodwill Zest society. “We have complained multiple times to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and local representatives, but nothing has changed. Monsoon will make it worse.”
Another resident from the nearby Kohinoor Viva City society echoed the frustration. “Even cabs cancel rides once they hear the location. This road cuts us off from the rest of the city,” they said. With no pedestrian infrastructure and poor street lighting, the stretch becomes especially risky after dark. Lohgaon, which has seen a real estate and population boom over the past decade, is symptomatic of a broader urban paradox: rapid vertical expansion with no matching horizontal infrastructure. Residents allege that the PMC’s developmental efforts are skewed towards older city cores, while peripheral areas like Lohgaon are left to languish.
Repeated calls for repair and completion of the road have fallen on deaf ears. Locals claim there has been no visible effort from either the civic body or the local MLA to address the growing hazard. With the full monsoon season imminent, public demand for accountability is mounting. Experts point out that such lapses are not merely a matter of inconvenience—they raise serious concerns about sustainable urban development. Poorly maintained roads contribute to vehicular damage, increased emissions, and hinder access to essential services like ambulances and waste collection.
Urban planners argue that timely and inclusive infrastructure interventions are key to building resilient cities, particularly as climate change amplifies monsoon variability. For Lohgaon, however, civic delay continues to trump proactive governance. Unless urgent measures are taken by PMC to finish and fortify Bharat Mata Road, the area risks becoming a flood-prone trap for thousands of residents who rely on it daily.
In a city racing to modernise, Lohgaon’s plight stands as a sobering reminder: infrastructure is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline.
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