Keshavnagar-Kharadi Bridge Protest: Locals Tie Ropes, Demand Pune Civic Body Resume Work After 8-Year Delay
Pune, 12th July 2025: In a striking act of protest, local political representatives and residents scaled the half-completed Keshavnagar-Kharadi bridge on Friday to highlight the years-long delay in its construction. To dramatize their frustration, protesters tied ropes and attempted to cross the river, drawing symbolic parallels to Tanaji Malusare’s historic ascent of Sinhagad Fort. Police officials intervened swiftly to prevent any untoward incident.
The bridge, which is intended to connect the Hadapsar and Vadgaon Sheri constituencies, has remained unfinished for eight years. Locals claim that no work has taken place for the past five months, further compounding public frustration.
Shiv Sena’s Pune City leader Sanjay More voiced sharp criticism of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), questioning the lack of progress. “Across the country, bridges are constructed in record time. What’s stopping PMC? Is anyone being held accountable?” he asked.
Residents and activists alleged that vested interests may be delaying the project. They speculated that the completion of the bridge could influence real estate values in Kharadi, potentially affecting the financial interests of developers with political connections.
The demonstrators issued a stern warning to PMC officials: if work does not resume immediately, they plan to escalate the protest and surround civic officials and the municipal commissioner.
For thousands of daily commuters, the unfinished bridge has come to represent systemic indifference, forcing them to take long, congested detours and endure daily hardship.
