Pune: No Potholes, Open Chambers On Immersion Routes,PMC Pulls Up Officials and Contractors Ahead Of Ganeshotsav

Pune, 14th September 2026: Ahead of Ganeshotsav, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) conducted an inspection of the city’s immersion procession routes and pulled up officials and contractors over incomplete and substandard works.

Additional municipal commissioner Omprakash Divate warned that no potholes, damaged footpaths or open, uneven or improperly covered chambers should remain along the immersion routes. He said contractors would face penalties for substandard or incomplete work, while negligent civic officials and employees would face administrative action.

Divate inspected the routes from Belbaug Chowk to Alka Talkies, along Laxmi Road, Tilak Road, the Mandai area, Kelkar Road and Kumthekar Road from 7am on Saturday. During the inspection, potholes, damaged blocks, uneven footpaths and drainage and stormwater chamber covers that were either above or below the road level were found at several locations. He directed officials to complete the pending works immediately.

Officials were instructed to repair potholes as per standard procedures, including proper edge cutting, compaction, filling and levelling of the final surface. Soil, gravel, rubble and construction material left on roads and footpaths after excavation must also be removed immediately to ensure unobstructed movement of pedestrians, Divate said.

He directed officials to get defects in footpath repairs and painting carried out last year under the Cycle Grand Tour rectified by the concerned contractors during the defect liability period. Agencies, including the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), were also asked to immediately restore roads excavated by them if the surfaces had not been properly reinstated.

Divate further directed officials to issue notices to developers if private construction activity resulted in waterlogging on roads and ensure permanent drainage arrangements. Developers would be held responsible for damage to roads or footpaths caused by water accumulation, he said.

The regional offices and road department have been directed to complete all works within two days and submit compliance reports along with geo-tagged photographs.

Road department chief engineer-in-charge Rajesh Bankar and other concerned engineers were present during the inspection.