Heavy Traffic on Highways as Diwali Returnees Head Back to Pune City

Pune, 26th October 2025: Punekars returning to the city after Diwali are facing severe traffic congestion on major routes today (Sunday). A massive traffic jam has been reported from the Katraj tunnel on the Pune-Bengaluru highway to the Warej flyover in Pune city, with many vehicles stranded for nearly one and a half hours.

Rain in Pune this evening has added to the chaos, making traffic management even more challenging. The Pune Traffic Police are working to ease the congestion, but motorists continue to face long delays.

The rush comes as people prepare to resume their regular routines from Monday. Most schools are reopening, and offices are also starting, prompting residents who had traveled to their hometowns for Diwali to return to Pune.

Heavy traffic was also observed on the Pune-Ahilyanagar-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar route, with long queues of vehicles from Marathwada. Traffic jams were also reported on Pune-Solapur, Pune-Satara Highways as well as Pune-Mumbai Expressway also . Many students and workers who settled in Pune had gone back to their hometowns for the festival and are now returning, contributing to the large influx.

Authorities have urged commuters to exercise patience and follow traffic regulations while traveling.