Pune rain disrupted traffic across several major roads after heavy showers on Sunday night and additional rain on Monday morning left low-lying areas waterlogged, slowing commuters and concealing potholes during the morning peak period.
Shivajinagar recorded 41.1 millimetres of rain on Sunday night and another 10.9 millimetres on Monday morning, according to the rainfall figures reported by Civic Mirror – Pune. Waterlogging complaints were received from areas including the Ruby Hall Clinic vicinity, Shastrinagar and Ramwadi. Some roads remained difficult to navigate until around noon, even after the rain eased.
The showers were linked to the impact of a cyclone-like system that developed over the Bay of Bengal and was influencing weather conditions in Maharashtra. Rainfall was also recorded in several locations around Pune district. Magarpatta received 30.5 millimetres on Sunday night and 16 millimetres on Monday morning, while Haveli recorded 35 millimetres and 13 millimetres respectively. Chinchwad recorded 19.5 millimetres at night and 11.5 millimetres in the morning.
The disruption was most severe during the morning rush, when office workers, students and other commuters faced slower journeys. Water covering damaged sections of road made it difficult for motorists to identify potholes, increasing the risk of accidents and vehicle damage. Roads in the Bund Garden area were reported to be particularly difficult for drivers because of potholes and standing water.
Residents said the disruption had again raised questions about Pune Municipal Corporation’s stormwater drainage system and road maintenance. Anil Kate, who travels through the Ruby Hall area, said the civic body spends crores of rupees on preparations before the monsoon but that waterlogging continues after a few hours of rain. He questioned the value of public spending when residents still struggle to reach workplaces.
Rita Shah, a regular user of the Bund Garden road, said potholes become particularly dangerous during rain because their depth cannot be judged once they are covered by water. She called for proper road repairs instead of temporary patchwork. Kinjal Yadav, who travels towards Ramwadi and works in the information technology sector, said rain-related waterlogging and poor road conditions made journey times unpredictable.
Residents in Shastrinagar also said waterlogging had become a recurring problem, forcing pedestrians to move through dirty water and leaving two-wheeler users worried about submerged potholes and accidents. The report said the municipal corporation has undertaken stormwater drain cleaning and drainage pipeline projects and issued tenders for related work, but residents continue to question the effectiveness of the existing system.
The weather forecast for November 3 and 4 indicated generally cloudy conditions, with light to moderate rain and a possibility of thunder and lightning. The sky was expected to remain partly cloudy on November 5. Further rainfall could continue to test drainage capacity and road conditions in the affected parts of Pune.
