Pune: The notorious steep stretch near Gangadham Chowk and Aai Mata Mandir, just ahead of Pune’s busy Market Yard, is finally set to be eased, with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) starting work to reduce the gradient, following years of fear, near misses and fatal crashes.According to the residents, the stretch, infamous for making even seasoned drivers feel like they were navigating a ghat section, had proved especially unforgiving for heavy vehicles, such as concrete mixers and water tankers. Two-wheeler riders also said they were forced to ride with their brakes, and nerves, constantly on edge.On Thursday, PMC introduced traffic diversions to facilitate the work, completely shutting traffic from the Gangadham-Shatrunjay road towards Aai Mata Mandir. While officials claimed the move was essential, the sudden closure sparked outrage among local commuters and traders, who argued it was causing more disruption than relief.“It is good that the administration has finally woken up to the problem,” said resident Harish Shah. “But the work needs to finish quickly. There should have been a proper traffic movement plan. Within hours of the road closure, the Bibvewadi-Kondhwa Road was choked with traffic, unleashing chaos,” he said.Residents said the area around Gangadham chowk, Market Yard and Aai Mata Mandir was a traffic hotspot from dawn to midnight. Any prolonged closure, they said, could paralyse an already congested neighbourhood. “Diversions can’t be imposed endlessly in such a busy area,” another resident, Supriya Naik, said, adding, “Local commuters should be taken into confidence before such decisions are implemented. Right now, people are left confused and frustrated.“For traders in the area, the danger of the slope has been obvious for years. Vijay Solanki, who runs a business in the vicinity, said the road has been a disaster waiting to happen. “The gradient is so steep that it feels like driving down a hill. Heavy vehicle drivers often lose control here. We have repeatedly demanded urgent repairs in view of accidents.”PMC officials, however, maintained that the work was being executed with technical precision. “The slope will be reduced at two critical points and the project will be carried out in phases, given the complexity of the terrain,” an official said“This is not just a simple resurfacing job. Several internal roads and lanes connect to the main stretch. The slope has to be adjusted carefully so that the gradient remains safe and consistent at all junction points,” the official added.Residents seek monitoring, strict actionThe residents have demanded stricter enforcement, beyond engineering fixes, pushing for the traffic police to crack down once again on heavy vehicles entering the area during daytime. This rule was strictly enforced after last year’s fatal accidents, but has since faded into lax monitoring.“After the deaths reported in June last year, action was taken, and things improved,” said a daily commuter. “Now, heavy vehicles are back during peak hours. Reducing the slope is important, but without strict monitoring, the danger won’t disappear,” the commuter said.
