Citizens of Aundh-Bopodi in Pune gathered together like a chorus of voices, amplifying their concerns and frustrations, as they joined BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole in an open forum meeting on Thursday.
The meeting addressed various issues faced by the residents, including water accumulation during the rainy season, deteriorating public toilets, low water pressure, increasing population of stray dogs, and uncleaned chamber and drainage water entering houses.
Lack of action from PMC
The residents expressed frustration at the lack of action from the Pune Municipal Corporation officials despite repeated complaints. MLA Siddharth Shirole promised to hold such meetings every fortnight and work towards finding solutions to the long-standing issues.
Rohini, a resident of Aundh, expressed frustration, stating, "Despite attending these meetings, our problems as citizens are not being resolved." She specifically highlighted the issue of water accumulation in society during the rainy season. Rohini claimed to have lodged complaints with the PMC, but no remedial measures have been taken. She also raised concerns about scrubs littered in society, along with parked rickshaws attracting individuals with criminal tendencies, resulting in instances of housebreaking and theft.
Dilapidated toilets
Vijay Jagtap, a resident of Bopodi, shed light on the deteriorating state of public toilets in the area. He stated, "The public toilet in Bopodi is in terrible condition. It is not cleaned by the PMC, lacks proper lighting, and has broken doors." Jagtap expressed concern for the safety of women and shared incidents where senior citizens, children, and women suffered injuries due to accidents inside the poorly maintained facility. He lamented the lack of responsiveness from PMC officials and employees, despite repeated complaints.
Water woes
Another issue raised during the meeting was the water supply in Sanewadi. Citizens pointed out that the water pipeline has not been replaced in the past 40 years, leading to low water pressure. The reliance on tanker water supply was a cause for concern, prompting residents to demand the installation of a larger pipeline in Sanewadi. In response, a PMC official assured the attendees that ongoing water pipeline work would be completed by the end of the month, ensuring higher water pressure for residents.
Stray dogs
The problem of stray dogs was also brought to the forefront, with citizens expressing dissatisfaction over the PMC's lack of action. They cited an increase in the population of stray dogs, leading to road accidents and injuries. The PMC official present at the meeting pledged to take measures to address the issue.
Surekha Wakde, a resident, voiced her dissatisfaction, stating, "For the last 10 years, we have been complaining to the PMC about the uncleaned chamber and drainage water entering our houses. PMC officials have disregarded our complaints." She, along with other residents, looked to MLA Siddharth Shirole for assistance in resolving their long-standing issues.
Next meeting after 10 days
In response to the concerns raised, MLA Siddharth Shirole assured the residents that he would work towards finding solutions and promised to reconvene the meeting after 10 days. The meeting provided a much-needed platform for the residents to vent their concerns and seek solutions to the challenges they faced. Siddharth Shirole has promised to hold such meetings every fortnight across different wards of the Shivajinagar Constituency.
