Even as neighbouring localities like Kharadi and Amanora witness rapid development and upscale urban growth, residents of Keshavnagar and Mundhwa say they continue to struggle with long-pending civic issues and administrative neglect.
Residents allege that basic infrastructure remains in a dismal state. Roads are either broken or non-existent, encroachments have increased unchecked, and traffic management is absent due to a lack of traffic police deployment. The non-operational river bridge and the incomplete railway underpass have added to daily hardships; commuters have to take longer routes and have to face heavy congestion.
Residents claim that despite repeated appeals, authorities have failed to take concrete steps, leaving the common man to bear the brunt of stalled projects and poor connectivity. Frustration is mounting as they watch adjacent areas flourish while their own neighbourhood remains stuck in infrastructural limbo.
Chaitanya Sharma, a resident of Mundhwa, said, "Deputy CM visited Keshavnagar a few months back, where he was made aware about the ongoing 10-year under-construction Kharadi-Keshavnagar bridge. The new road widening plan was also proposed. There is a railway underbridge from Keshavnagar to Amanora already fully constructed for the last 1.5 years, but no roads on either side.”
“So many things are happening, but on the ground, absolutely no action from any authority. Keshavnagar already suffers from infrastructure, roads, water, and traffic lights issues. Every other month, new buildings are given possession, but who is keeping a check? On what grounds is more and more construction getting approved in Keshav Nagar without basic things?” explained Sharma.
“Both Amanora and Kharadi, adjacent areas of Keshavnagar, are being developed, so why is only Keshavnagar suffering. Residents have been raising their voices for the past 3 years. Rallies have been organised, but we get no results. The future is still bleak. No one knows when there will be removal of encroachments, road widening, the Kharadi bridge and the underbridge will be operated," he added.
Another resident of Keshavnagar, Deepak Kashyap, said, "Today’s traffic situation was unbearable. My daughter’s school bus from Amanora was stuck for more than an hour and a half. The entire right-side route via Majari was completely jammed. The school bus gets stranded in traffic for hours, and yet nothing is being done to clear the traffic. Every day the situation worsens, and today was just another example of how neglected this entire stretch is."
Speaking to the Free Press Journal newspaper, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said, "Keshavnagar and Mundhwa, these two areas are definitely in our priority list to improve the basic infrastructure to reduce the traffic. For encroachments, we have a drive going on for the entire city; however, I'll send my team in that area to check for the irregularities, and we will take strict action against them. We will have projects on board which would help to develop the respective areas better, and also if the Kharadi bridge and the underbridge are not operational despite being fully constructed must be some issue there, l'll send my team to check."
