Pune: Drainage Missing, Officials Missing, Accountability Missing—Only Water’s in Overflowing Supply in Pimpri-Chinchwad’s Tathawade

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande
Tathawade, 2nd June 2025: People of Pimpri-Chinchwad, especially from Wakad, Hinjawadi, Tathawade and Punawale, are facing significant problems, as one of the key junctions, the Tathawade Underpass, has been inaccessible to traffic for the past week. Located beneath the Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway, the Tathawade underpass typically experiences heavy congestion due to high traffic volume. However, early monsoon rains in Pune have turned the underpass into a virtual swimming pool, making it impossible for vehicles to pass through.

Since mid-May, monsoon-like rains have started lashing Pune district. Both the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) appeared caught off guard and have proven ineffective in managing the impact. PCMC’s negligence, however, stands out as the Tathawade underpass, one of the most important routes in the western region of Pimpri-Chinchwad, located on the PCMC border, remains submerged with 4 to 5 feet of water. Residents have reported incidents of vehicles breaking down and people losing balance due to potholes hidden beneath the water. Traffic congestion has also worsened significantly.

The Traffic Branch of Pimpri-Chinchwad Police has struggled with the issue, as it’s fundamentally an infrastructural problem beyond their control. Still, residents say that traffic officers have stepped in to help by entering the water themselves to assist stranded vehicles.

Senior Police Inspector Sunil Pinjan, in charge of the Wakad Traffic Division, told Punekar News, “Since the rains began, this problem has been ongoing. We’ve been contacting PCMC for the past week to come and clear the mess. They have finally arrived and started the work. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved soon.” Regarding police officers assisting the public, he added, “Many vehicles broke down in the water, and our officers went there to help.”

Residents have reported increased traffic congestion, longer alternative routes, and overall chaos amid heavy rains. Two-wheeler riders have been particularly affected. The Tathawade underpass is a crucial link for accessing the national highway and traveling toward Hinjawadi and Mulshi Taluka. However, its inaccessibility has led to severe traffic bottlenecks at other underpasses in Punawale and at Wakad’s Bhumkar Chowk and Bhujbal Chowk.

Sumit Dhage, a resident of Punawale, said, “It’s completely submerged. The drainage system is poorly designed, it doesn’t connect properly to other systems, so the water has no exit. I use that underpass and now have to take alternate routes. One is closed, and the other is jammed with traffic. Earlier, traffic was limited to peak hours, but now it’s constant. We asked the police for more personnel, but nothing changed. People breaking rules is making it worse.”

Residents say that the water does not drain away on its own, and even light rain causes the ‘new river’ in Tathawade to reappear. Complaints have come in from Hinjawadi, Wakad, Tathawade, Punawale, Kiwale and Ravet. There is growing concern that even if the water is cleared now, the issue will return with the next rain.

Efforts were made to contact PCMC Joint City Engineer Bapu Gaikwad for an update on the current situation and any future plans to prevent waterlogging. However, he was unavailable for comment. PCMC officials have reportedly been difficult to reach, even for the police, raising serious questions about how civic issues will be addressed if the responsible authorities are unresponsive.