Heavy Rains Throw Pune Out Of Gear: Flights Delayed, Roads Waterlogged, Traffic Crawls

Continuous heavy rainfall for the last two days has interrupted the daily routines of Punekars, leading to inconvenience due to flight delays and traffic jams on several roads across the city.

On Monday, air traffic at Pune airport was badly affected. An IndiGo flight (6E-5387) from Delhi, expected at 1:20 pm, could not land in Pune and was diverted to Hyderabad due to poor visibility. Three other flights were delayed by nearly three hours. The Pune-Delhi flight (6E-2285), scheduled to depart at 2:05 pm, took off only at 4:35 pm. The Pune-Jalgaon flight (IC 5606) departed at 5:40 pm instead of 3:55 pm, while the Pune-Jaipur (SG-1080) flight, scheduled at 5:30 am, finally took off at 9:10 am.

'We are taking precautions'

Santosh Dhoke, Managing Director of Pune Airport, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, “The flights have not been much affected on Tuesday, but we are taking precautions according to the weather that could cause a few minutes’ delay at the last moment of scheduled departure timings.”

On the other hand, continuous rain led to traffic snarls at several key roads, including Mundhwa, Shastri Nagar Chowk, Yerawada, and Sinhagad Road. Slow movement was also reported on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. The Shivneri bus service from Mumbai to Pune was delayed by about an hour.

'Bus from Mumbai took almost an hour more than usual'

Rajesh Patil, a passenger speaking to FPJ, said, “The bus from Mumbai took almost an hour more than usual. The traffic and rain made the journey very tiring. Due to extreme rainfall, traffic speed decreased.”

Priyanka Chaudhary, a daily commuter on Sinhagad Road, expressed, “Authorities need to focus on better monsoon preparedness. Drainage and traffic management must improve. Waterlogging is common in heavy rain, but if the drainage system is good, the water can be wiped out easily. The civic body always waits for the last-minute rush to show their activeness, which results in common citizens suffering.”

Stay indoors: Pune CP

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has urged citizens to stay indoors amid heavy downpour in the city.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kumar wrote, “Dear Punekars, your safety remains our utmost priority as the city continues to witness heavy rainfall, resulting in waterlogging across several locations. We urge you to refrain from venturing outdoors unless it is absolutely unavoidable.”

In case of emergencies, the CP asked citizens to dial 112.

“Our officials and staff are ready to assist. In the event of any emergency, please reach out immediately to the helpline number 112,” he added.

‘Work from home is the need of the hour’

The Forum for IT Employees (FITE) urged IT companies to allow employees to work from home amid heavy rains and severe infrastructure woes in the city. IT companies are mainly situated in areas like Hinjawadi, Baner, Kharadi, Hadapsar, and Viman Nagar.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), FITE wrote, “Heavy rains predicted in Pune for the coming days, yet no steps taken to make #WorkFromHome mandatory. Most IT companies are already hybrid – giving WFH will not affect delivery but will surely help employees stuck in traffic jams, waterlogging, and pothole-filled roads.”

FITE urged the Maharashtra government and IT firms to declare work from home. “This will reduce traffic pressure, ease stress on civic authorities, and provide relief to employees,” it added.

“With Pune’s current infra condition – broken roads, flooded underpasses, and poor drainage – #WFH is the need of the hour,” FITE concluded.