Pune Civic Work Under Fire as Freshly Laid Asphalt Melts in Heat, Citizens Struggle to Walk
Dhayari, 1st May 2025: In yet another example of substandard civic work, the freshly asphalted road at Umbraya Ganapati Chowk in Dhayari has started melting just six days after being resurfaced, causing serious inconvenience to pedestrians and raising concerns about the quality of road works carried out by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
The newly laid asphalt, unable to withstand the current heatwave, has softened and spread across the road. Pedestrians are now struggling to walk, with several reporting that their shoes are sticking to the road or even breaking. A video that has gone viral shows a senior citizen’s shoe torn apart while walking on the melted asphalt, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
The PMC had recently launched a citywide push to asphalt roads before the onset of the monsoon, aiming to prevent pothole-related issues. However, the melting of road surfaces under sunlight has cast serious doubts on the materials used and the execution of these projects.
“Orders from senior officials to ensure high-quality roadwork appear to exist only on paper,” said a local resident. “In reality, many roads are resurfaced without proper compacting or with an excess of bitumen and insufficient gravel, leading to soft surfaces that fail under normal heat.”
As vehicles pass over the damaged stretch in Dhayari, the melted asphalt continues to spread onto connecting roads, worsening the condition of the entire area. The lack of proper oversight and accountability is once again drawing public criticism toward PMC’s road contractors and engineering departments.
Citizens have called for an urgent investigation into the materials and contractors involved in the project, demanding that PMC not only repair the road but also penalize those responsible for substandard work.
