Pune road potholes, deep craters and slippery slush have turned the Diamond Water Park Road connecting Lohegaon and Wagholi into a hazardous route for school buses, two-wheeler riders, residents and visitors, according to a report by Pune Mirror – Pune. Residents say the deteriorating stretch has caused falls, vehicle damage and traffic bottlenecks, while incomplete drainage and water pipeline work have left parts of the road difficult to navigate during the monsoon.
The road serves several schools and is used by schoolchildren, office-goers, local residents and visitors to Diamond Water Park. Residents told the publication that the combination of uneven surfaces, protruding rocks, deep craters and mud has made daily travel unsafe. They said traffic congestion worsens during peak hours because vehicles are forced to avoid damaged sections of the road.
Student Sai Vetal told Pune Mirror – Pune that he had fallen twice during the monsoon in August because of the slushy surface. He described the stretch as rocky and uneven, with large craters making it difficult to travel safely. Vetal also said a woman travelling with two children on a two-wheeler lost control on the slippery road, causing all three to fall and suffer injuries and bruises.
Residents said schoolchildren, senior citizens and two-wheeler riders were especially vulnerable. Vijay Kakde told the publication that another reported incident involved schoolgirls and their grandfather slipping and falling in the muck. The accounts could not be independently verified from the material supplied, but they form part of residents’ complaints about the road’s condition.
The road’s deterioration has been linked by residents to incomplete water and drainage pipeline work. Local resident Yogesh Gade told Pune Mirror – Pune that the road was dug up months ago and was not properly restored. According to Gade, the excavated section was filled with mud instead of being resurfaced with asphalt or concrete, leaving commuters to deal with the consequences.
Arjun Gupta, a resident of Dwarka Nagar, said more than 1,000 families, three major schools and water park visitors were affected by the damaged road. He said vehicles were sustaining damage, fuel costs were increasing and auto-rickshaws and taxis were refusing to enter the area. Gupta also claimed that a road sanctioned to be 24 metres wide had effectively narrowed to between 15 and 20 metres, creating bottlenecks and raising concerns about whether ambulances and fire engines could pass during an emergency.
The report said the condition of the road had worsened since Pune Times Mirror visited the stretch four months earlier. During that earlier visit, Joint Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Pol had said he would speak to the water department and arrange a site inspection. In response to the latest query, Pol, who is also an Assistant Municipal Commissioner and ward officer, said the budget for road repairs had been sanctioned and that he would provide further details.
Residents are seeking immediate levelling or other temporary repairs, followed by permanent resurfacing. The next stated step from the civic administration is the provision of further details on the sanctioned repair budget and the action planned for the Diamond Water Park Road.
