Post-Diwali Rush: Pune Chokes Under Heavy Traffic; Gridlock Reported At Hinjawadi & Kharadi IT Parks - VIDEOS

Pune: Diwali Holidays and the following weekend have now ended, and since Monday morning, Punekars are back to their routine work schedule. The atmosphere has become particularly ‘suffocating’ for the locals as the traffic congestion in the internal part of the city has now increased yet again. Heavy traffic congestion was reported in the IT Hubs of Kharadi and Hinjawadi, along with roads in and near Baner, Balewadi, Shivajinagar, Kalyani Nagar, Chakan, Talegaon Dabhade, and others.

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According to available details, many offices resumed their work after the extended Diwali holidays on Monday morning. With migrant Punekars and the Punekars who travelled outside as tourists now back, the city's internal road condition has regained its old traffic-congested state. As is usually seen in key roads of Pune, which are many times in a deteriorated condition, passing a stretch of five kilometres took around half an hour, while distances more than 10 km took over an hour in the morning, as it was a race against time for everyone to reach their offices on time.

Pune District, housing two major IT parks and multiple industrial areas, provides employment to millions of people. Along with that, since the pre-pre-independence era, the city has been an educational hub, often being referred to as the ‘Oxford of the East’. With colleges and companies beginning, the normal Pune has come back to life.

Diwali 'Fresh Air' Vanishes

Many Punekars went active on social media, saying that now that the city's migrant population has temporarily gone to the pavilion to celebrate Diwali with their families, the city's roads are empty, making Pune ‘breathable’ again. This has caused a social media war between the outsiders and the Punekars, both making their claims known to the world by taking extreme positions.

But now the war has taken its ceasefire as the work schedule has begun, and Pune streets are filled with vehicular movements. Key junctions, key squares, and key roads reported a gridlock of vehicles, and the city went back to its original self, noted netizens on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Residents React

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Sameer Patil (23, Mhalunge) said, “I went back to my hometown of Ratnagiri for the Diwali holidays. A lack of planning on my side resulted in me facing huge traffic congestion to reach the city on Saturday. Also, a lack of planning on my side this morning resulted in my arriving late to work, as I have my office in Hinjawadi. The metro cannot start soon enough. All my colleagues complain about the worsening traffic situation in Pune.”

Ayush Singh (29, SB Road) told The FPJ, “I went to my office in Kalyani Nagar. I have an early shift of 8 am; that's why I arrived on time. But through the window, I could see the traffic jam in the Kalyani Nagar area. It happened from 9 am to 11 am, and then it eased. However, I dread going home because I'm bound to leave by 6 pm, and I can already feel the traffic congestion at Sancheti Chowk and Shivajinagar.”

Bhushan Gawali (48, Bhosari) said, “The traffic at Chakan has returned. I did not go outside Pune during Diwali and saw the Chakan area having less traffic than usual. As the area is filled with industries, it always has traffic. However, this morning, the traffic situation has begun again. Deteriorated roads make the situation worse. Well, this is a part of life now. Traffic is unavoidable these days; just learn to live with it.”