Pune: PMC Repairs Roads Ahead Of Amit Shah's Visit; Citizens Ask, 'Why Not For Us?'

Pune: After weeks of complaints from motorists over cratered roads and water-filled potholes, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has intensified its road repair drive, claiming to have repaired 1,134 of the 1,188 potholes reported across the city over the last 15 days. However, the timing of the accelerated work has triggered sharp criticism from citizens, as the civic administration has simultaneously launched a special drive to make roads along Union Home Minister Amit Shah's convoy route pothole-free ahead of his visit on Saturday.

Residents say the sudden urgency exposes the administration's priorities, questioning why roads become safer only when a VIP is scheduled to visit, while ordinary taxpayers continue to struggle with damaged roads every day.

The city's road conditions deteriorated significantly following heavy rainfall earlier this month. Waterlogging inside potholes has made them nearly invisible, resulting in vehicles hitting craters unexpectedly, damaging suspensions, causing breakdowns and posing a serious risk to two-wheeler riders.

According to PMC's Road Department, between July 7 and July 21, a total of 1,188 potholes were reported across Pune, of which 1,134 have been repaired. The repairs were carried out using both cold-mix and hot-mix technology after intermittent dry spells allowed roadwork to resume.

Officials said 634 square metres of road surface was repaired using cold-mix material, while 2,088 square metres was restored through hot-mix asphalt. Apart from filling potholes, the department also carried out water drainage at 162 locations, used 857 square metres of murum and GSB material to strengthen damaged stretches, and repaired 62 square metres using paving blocks.

PMC officials claimed that the highest number of potholes was reported in the Wanawadi regional office limits, where all identified potholes have been repaired. Major repair work was also undertaken in Kondhwa-Dhankawadi, Hadapsar-Manjari, Warje-Karvenagar and Kothrud-Bavdhan.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Om Prakash Divte said the pothole repair campaign is continuing across the city and assured that all remaining potholes would be filled by August 1.

However, even as PMC projects progress through statistics, another set of instructions issued by Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has drawn public attention. During a review meeting, the commissioner directed officials to ensure that roads along the route from Pune Airport to Maharshi Nagar, through which Amit Shah's convoy is expected to travel, are made pothole-free, patch-free, clean and encroachment-free on a war footing.

Shah will be in Pune to present the Lokmanya Tilak Award to National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval at Tilak Smarak Mandir. With several senior political leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, expected to attend, and political protests also anticipated, security and civic agencies have stepped up preparations.

The special focus on the VIP route has, however, reignited the long-standing debate over civic priorities.

Motorists argue that while the administration claims to be repairing potholes across the city, visible improvements are largely concentrated on roads used by dignitaries. Citizens questioned why emergency repairs could not have been undertaken earlier despite repeated complaints and regular tax collection.

"We pay property tax, road tax and every other civic levy, yet we are forced to drive through dangerous potholes every day. Suddenly, when a VIP is coming, the roads become a priority. Are ordinary citizens not important to the civic administration? Basic amenities should not depend on who is visiting the city," said Prasad Kulkarni, a resident of Kothrud.

Another commuter, Sneha Patil, who travels daily between Hadapsar and Camp, said, "The administration wakes up only when ministers visit. We have been risking accidents for weeks. If roads can be repaired overnight for a VIP convoy, they should be maintained the same way for citizens throughout the year."

With the monsoon far from over, commuters say the real test for PMC will not be repairing roads before a high-profile visit, but ensuring that every road in Pune remains safe even after the VIP convoy has passed.

Zone-wise pothole repairs:

Kondhwa–Dhankawadi – 358

Hadapsar–Manjari – 127

Warje–Karvenagar – 104

Bibwewadi – 73

Kothrud–Bavdhan – 68

Aundh–Baner – 59

Yerawada–Wadgaonsheri – 35

Sinhagad Road – 26

Nagar Road–Bypass – 13