A protest at the Satana Public Works Department office in Nashik district on Friday highlighted complaints about potholes, alleged administrative absenteeism and road-safety problems across the taluka. Activists from the Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar faction said they found only two Class IV employees present when they visited the office to submit a memorandum, while several rooms were locked.
Led by NCP taluka president Rajendra Sonawane, the protesters distributed Diwali snacks to the employees and placed garlands on stones removed from potholes on the Malegaon road. The symbolic protest was intended to draw attention to what the party described as poor functioning by the PWD sub-division and the condition of roads under its jurisdiction.
According to the memorandum sent to the chief engineer, responsible officers are frequently unavailable at the office. The NCP said this creates difficulties for residents and elected representatives seeking to raise local infrastructure complaints. The report did not include a response from the PWD or identify the officers who were allegedly absent.
The memorandum also raised concerns about potholes on roads in and around Satana. The protesters used stones from the Malegaon road to focus attention on the issue, but the report did not provide measurements of the damaged stretches, details of recent repair contracts or an official assessment of the road condition.
A second issue raised was the alleged large-scale cutting of mature trees during work on the Sakri-Shirdi National Highway and other state highways. The NCP questioned where and how much compensatory plantation had been carried out as required under applicable rules. The report did not contain figures for trees removed or replacement plantations completed.
The party further alleged that unauthorised speed breakers had been installed at several locations across the taluka. It claimed that these additional bumps had contributed to an increase in accidents and demanded their immediate removal. No accident data, road-safety audit or statement from the traffic police or PWD was cited in the report.
The complaints point to three separate responsibilities that typically shape the functioning of local road infrastructure: maintaining carriageways, ensuring that road works comply with environmental requirements, and regulating traffic-calming measures. In this case, the memorandum links all three to the availability and responsiveness of the local PWD administration, but the supplied report does not establish whether the allegations have been formally investigated.
The protest also illustrates how residents and political groups often use symbolic actions when routine channels for reporting public works problems are perceived to be ineffective. The garlanding of pothole stones and the distribution of snacks were intended to make the alleged lack of administrative attention visible, while the memorandum escalated the complaints to the chief engineer.
The next formal step mentioned in the report is consideration of the memorandum by the chief engineer. Any official response, road inspection, action on the alleged speed breakers or details of compensatory plantation would clarify how the department plans to address the issues raised.
