Pune: The monsoon arrived late this year, but Pune’s familiar chaos after rain returned right on cue. On Wednesday morning, the city was brought to its knees by nothing more than a usual rain spell. Roads choked, vehicles stalled, tempers flared — and an entire city struggled to move.From Bavdhan to Hinjewadi and Dhayari to Hadapsar, the story was the same: Waterlogged streets, endless traffic snarls and residents left to fend for themselves. Akshay Baijal, who runs a pre-owned car showroom near Bavdhan, said ongoing concreting work on the service road along the Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass, inexplicably timed during the monsoon, turned the stretch into a murky hazard.“There was at least two feet of waterlogging on the road. Some four-wheelers broke down, and some two-wheeler riders even fell. The ongoing work also created a life-threatening hazard, with iron rods jutting out from the sides,” Baijal said, as chartered accountant Amisha Trivedi chimed in, saying, “The roadwork has shut nearly half the service road near HEMRL, compounding commuters’ misery.”Gaurav T, a musician living off Sinhagad Road near Nanded City, watched a routine 15-17 minute drive to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (7km away) turn into an hour-long ordeal. “I left with my wife and daughter to visit the hospital around 9.15am. The newly opened bridge on Sinhagad Road was jammed solid. Rajaram Bridge chokes every morning, but the rain turned it into a nightmare.”
For many, the Wednesday morning commute became painfully unpredictable
In Hinjewadi, encroachments on natural streams forced rainwater onto roads, leaving IT professionals navigating what felt more like flooded canals than city streets. In Dhayari, incomplete development plan roads spilled traffic onto already overburdened routes, amplifying the chaos. And then there were the city’s perennial choke points — Punawale, Bhumkar Chowk and Khadki underpass — predictably collapsing under pressure yet again.Pavanjit Mane, president of the Forum for IT Employees Maharashtra, said while MIDC and PMRDA managed to address waterlogging at a few spots in Hinjewadi Phase 2, the situation elsewhere remained grim. “Places like Maan Road are a nightmare. Authorities are busy granting permissions for high-rise buildings, but there’s no matching infrastructure. Traffic congestion is inevitable,” he said.In Punawale, resident Rohit Bhatia watched helplessly from his 13th-floor apartment as traffic stretched for kilometres. “You couldn’t even get your car out of the society,” he said.Similar situation played out in Hadapsar, where traffic jams dragged on till noon. A mere 2km stretch between Waiduwavi junction and 93 Avenue Mall took nearly 45 minutes to cross. Frustrated two-wheeler riders spilled onto footpaths and cycle tracks in desperation, worsening the mess. Even ambulances weren’t spared. Two PMPML buses parked along the highway added to the traffic congestion.Keshavnagar resident and IT professional Ankit Nanda painted a biting picture of urban “planning” — a four-lane road that abruptly narrowed to two within 250 meters, misaligned manholes, permanently dug-up streets, and stormwater drains that seemingly existed only on paper. “The same puddles from last year filled up instantly. Inspired by the gridlock, I just went back home and applied for work-from-home,” he said.He didn’t stop at cursing the traffic, he put the commuters on trial too. “In a city gasping for space, people still roll out their four- and seven-seaters like royal carriages, occupied by a single and solitary soul,” Nanda said.Yet, amid the anger, a deeper frustration simmered — the lack of accountability. With multiple authorities governing different stretches, the residents were left wondering whom to blame or approach. Manoj Mane of Pimple Nilakh described scenes of complete paralysis near Shahid Ashok Kamthe Garden. “The road towards Jupiter Hospital was at a standstill. Vehicles were lined up all the way to Ingawale Bridge,” he said.For many, the Wednesday morning commute became painfully unpredictable. Shrinivasan Vardhan, an IT employee travelling from Ramtekdi to Commerce Zone IT Park, said, “BT Kawade Road was completely choked. On a normal day, I cover 10km in 30 minutes. Today, I spent over 20 minutes just crossing 1km,” he said.Police authorities in both Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad acknowledged the traffic chaos witnessed on Wednesday morning. Vikrant Deshmukh, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Pimpri Chinchwad, said there was severe traffic congestion near the Punawale and Tathawade underpasses. “Both the underpasses witness heavy vehicular movement every morning. The situation worsened after a vehicle got stuck in a roadside chamber, creating a major bottleneck. Traffic personnel, including senior officers, were deployed at the spot, and the stranded vehicle was removed within about an hour,” Deshmukh said.Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Sandip Bhajibhakare said attributed the traffic snarls to potholes and waterlogging. “Many roads were partially submerged following Tuesday night’s rainfall. Our teams reached the affected locations promptly and cleared traffic within 30 minutes,” Bhajibhakare told TOI.(With inputs from Mihir Tanksale, Gitesh Shelke & Steffy Thevar)
