Pune: Sajag Nagrik Manch in Pune has demanded on Saturday that the Baba Bhide Bridge, built over the Mutha river in the central part of the city, be opened to the public for the day. Bhide Bridge is currently closed off for traffic due to the construction of an ongoing pedestrian bridge being built by Pune Metro. Sajag Nagrik Manch has made its demands clear, saying, “Stop pampering the Pune Metro and open the bridge for the public.”
For connecting Pune's central Peth areas to the metro, Pune Metro started constructing a pedestrian bridge over the river. Due to this work, Bhide Bridge has been closed to traffic for the past few months. Vivek Velankar, chairman of the Sajag Nagrik Manch, a citizen welfare organisation in Pune, has demanded that the bridge be open for traffic in the daytime and that metro works can take place at night.
The demand comes after the conclusion of Diwali 2025, as during the festival, the bridge was opened from 6 am to 9 pm, as many people visit the central area of the city during the festival. This was done to avoid traffic congestion. A similar decision was implemented during the Ganeshotsav.
However, since the bridge was closed on Friday for vehicles, Sajag Nagrik Manch has written to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Police for reopening the bridge.
Activist Vivek Velankar, in his letter to PMC and Police, said that originally the bridge was supposed to be closed for only 45 days. “The days kept increasing, but work didn't finish. It's causing inconvenience to the citizens. So don't pamper the metro administration, which cannot complete work on time, and at least keep the bridge open during the day," said Velankar in the letter.
