VIP Airport Road in Pune Turns Into Eyesore, Citizens Raise Concern Over Decade-Long Neglect
Viman Nagar, 14th June 2025: The Viman Nagar Citizens Forum has once again raised strong objections to the deteriorating condition of the VIP Airport Road, a key route that connects Pune Airport through the Ramwadi Underpass. Citizens, especially those living in Viman Nagar and Sanjay Park, have accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune City Traffic Police of long-standing negligence, despite repeated complaints.
Qaneez Sukhrani, Convenor of the Viman Nagar Citizens Forum, has sent a detailed email to senior PMC officials and Pune City Police, highlighting the poor state of the 400-meter stretch. She described the area as an “eyesore,” filled with filth, garbage, debris, and construction material spilling from footpaths onto the road—making it unfit for any visitor, let alone international travelers.
“If photos are seen, it will give a shock to anyone on the situation on VIP Airport Road,” Sukhrani stated. “Any passenger, foreign or Indian, will be shocked to see the condition. If this is what welcomes visitors, then ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ has gone out the door.”
Sukhrani also questioned the inability of civic officials to address the issue over the past decade. “Is the concerned department of PMC incapable of supervising and controlling this stretch for the past 10 years?” she asked. “Why is the traffic police so kind to these basti dwellers to allow parking on a road which is notified as ‘No Parking / No Halting’?”
The primary area of concern is near Sanjay Park slums, which residents claim has been contributing to this civic embarrassment for over a decade. Sukhrani demanded that the encroachments and illegal parking by slum dwellers’ vehicles be removed immediately to avoid traffic congestion and improve the city’s image.
“It is embarrassing that our visitors have to see this pathetic side of Pune. Constructive action must be taken and results should be visible within one week,” Sukhrani emphasized.
As Pune continues to position itself as a global city, citizens are demanding immediate and visible improvements to critical infrastructure—especially roads that shape first impressions for both domestic and international visitors.
