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PMRDA Repairs Potholes Along Hinjewadi Metro Corridor

2024-08-19

The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has initiated the process of filling potholes on roads along the under-construction Metro route in Hinjewadi IT Park. This action comes in response to widespread criticism on social media.

Several IT sector employees and their associations had posted videos online, highlighting the poor condition of the roads, which were riddled with potholes. These posts gained further attention after being shared by some celebrities.

The Metro route, being developed by PMRDA, connects Shivajinagar to the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi. A senior official from PMRDA mentioned that contractors involved in the Metro project were instructed to fill all potholes within a week. According to several IT employees, the condition of roads within Hinjewadi IT Park had deteriorated due to the ongoing Metro works, leading to waterlogging and frequent accidents.

Hinjewadi IT Park houses over 150 IT companies, employing more than four lakh people. Rinaj Pathan, the chief engineer of PMRDA, reported that approximately 50 per cent of the potholes had been filled, and the remaining were to be fixed on priority, as per the directives given to the concerned officials.

Pathan also noted that although the area falls under the jurisdictions of Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, and PMRDA, the responsibility for maintaining roads along the Metro route lies with the Metro concessionaire. If they fail to maintain them, PMRDA is expected to take over.

Dyanendra Hulsure, president of the Hinjewadi Employees and Residents Trust, expressed that a significant number of IT employees were on leave over the long weekend and hoped the potholes would be fixed before offices resumed.