Pune: Collector Jitendra Dudi on Tuesday admitted that Chakan’s infrastructure crisis stemmed from administrative lapses and poor planning, warning officials and contractors of action if they failed to repair roads by Aug 31.Dudi, who heads the state-appointed committee coordinating agencies in the Chakan MIDC area, said there would be no deadline extension for road repairs. “Contractors have been told to follow Indian Road Congress norms and maintain quality standards,” he said.The collector said MIDC and grazing land would be made available for parking by Friday to ease traffic congestion. “Vehicles parked illegally on roads will be seized even on the first offence. We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy on this issue. Once parking is streamlined, traffic speeds could improve by 25-30% as at least two lanes on every road become available,” he said.With police facing a manpower shortage, the state has approved deployment of 100 Maharashtra Security Force personnel in the MIDC area within a week. According to district administration data, 29 people have died in road accidents in and around Chakan over the past two months.The administration has identified a 19km congestion-prone corridor across Chakan MIDC and adjoining PMRDA areas, with all planned works targeted for completion within four months.A drive against encroachments is also planned, under which agencies have been told to identify illegal structures and issue notices by Aug 25, with demolition to follow within a month. “Action will be taken against officers if complaints of selective enforcement emerge,” Dudi said.The collector acknowledged major infrastructure gaps, saying only around 10% of the MIDC area had streetlights and that several roads lacked pedestrian pathways. These facilities would be included in future road projects, he said.To improve safety and traffic management, AI-enabled CCTV cameras will be installed across the MIDC area and linked to the police integrated command and control centre.Addressing frequent power outages, Dudi said the state has provided additional land to MSEDCL for infrastructure development and set a Dec 31 deadline to permanently resolve power supply issues.For long-term improvements, nearly 500km of roads in and around Chakan have been identified for development. The administration also plans compulsory land acquisition where necessary for the Shikrapur-Talegaon road, a project Dudi said could reduce congestion by nearly 50%. Tenders for the Nashik Phata-Khed elevated corridor have been approved, with work orders expected soon.The directions were issued during the first meeting of the 14-member coordination committee formed to address infrastructure issues in Chakan. “The results of these measures will start becoming visible within two weeks,” Dudi said.The administration has also directed NHAI to repair damaged highway dividers to curb unauthorised crossings, a key factor behind traffic snarls. Dudi said experts associated with Pune’s JM Road had also been consulted to improve road quality in the MIDC area. “It is true that several committees were formed earlier, but they failed to deliver the expected results. We are now trying to correct those lapses,” he said.Dudi said a separate infrastructure action plan for Hinjewadi IT Park was ready and would likely be discussed with CM Devendra Fadnavis next month. “Work in Hinjewadi has already moved to the next level and will begin very soon,” he added.
