The residents of Bavdhan on Sunday, April 27, will come forward to stage a silent protest, 'Basics First', demanding better roads for Pune. The march will start from Bavdhan Market Yard to Axis Bank on NDA Road.
"Residents are tired of bad roads, blocked footpaths, and daily chaos, and demand safe, walkable and livable roads for all. On the other side, in Bavdhan Budruk, we have a huge, steep slope going from the Nissan showroom up to Ryan Public School and beyond, which has a similar issue. We have had representation from these areas and have been raising concerns about the condition of roads, but in my experience, I know no matter how much you shout, you won't get justice until you are being heard," a senior citizen expressed in a video posted on an Instagram page called 'Bavdhan Citizens'.
The senior citizen expressed his ordeal of how bad roads in Bavdhan are affecting day-to-day life and are a matter of great concern, while the administration continues to turn a blind eye to their problems. "It has become quite challenging to walk on the streets due to several impediments. In lane no. 8, there is overparking, encroachment and then there's a corner that is completely shut off by private property, causing a lot of inconvenience to citizens, especially elderly people and kids," he added.
Dushyant Bhatiya, another resident of Bavdhan, told The Free Press Journal that this will be their second protest march. "We conducted a similar protest on October 10 last year. This time, we have two specific issues in connection with roads. One is in Bavdhan Budruk, where there is a steep road, and when water tankers pass through, water spills on the slopes, which are so steep that two-wheelers slip. Now and then, we see accidents happening. The second issue is that in lane no. 8, a private property has completely blocked one side of the street. The blockage causes a lot of traffic congestion. The citizens are suffering, and the authorities are turning a blind eye."
