Tired of waiting for basic civic amenities to be provided by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the residents of Wagholi stopped the vehicle of Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Wednesday, expressing their frustration over the non-availability of basic amenities in the Wagholi area despite its merger since 2017.
Locals claimed that damaged roads, choked drains, and irregular garbage collection have made day-to-day life difficult. Despite repeated complaints, they alleged that no concrete action has been taken.
Sanjiv Kumar Patil, a resident of Wagholi, said, "We have been paying taxes but not getting even the basic facilities. There are no STP plants, and every society has its own STP, but there's no drainage infrastructure for the disposal of the waste. The other amenities like roads, traffic, garbage collection, and water crisis have yet not be solved. The system has major faults. The sanctioning is done by PMRDA, and PMC implements it, but there is a lack of coordination between them. And we, the common people, are suffering the most."
“We’ve been requesting help for months, but no one listens. We had no choice but to make ourselves heard today,” said one of the residents during the protest on condition of anonymity.
Sudhir Shrivastava, Director of the Keshav Nagar Welfare Association, said, "We have been demanding the basic facilities for so many years, but it is falling on deaf ears. PMRDA is sanctioning the development plan, and PMC's responsibility is to execute the plan, but there is no coordination between both bodies, and we are facing the consequences of it. The areas, including Wagholi, Keshav Nagar, and Mundhwa, have been long waiting for the basic amenities, but still, we aren't the priority, it seems."
Mamta Singh, another resident of Wagholi, said, "It's funny how we are living in a city like Pune and still don't receive the basic facilities. It's sad that despite spending so much, we don't get to live a hassle-free life. There's no purpose in living in Pune if we can't get the basic facilities, and I'm planning to go back to Bengaluru or any other city, and I believe the hassle would be much less. The traffic is so bad that I can't explain."
Meanwhile, the Commissioner said, "The civic body would look into the matter and take necessary steps soon."
