Pune: Narhe Villagers Block Roads Over Poor Civic Amenities, Warn of Highway Protest
Narhe, 22nd June, 2025: Residents of Narhe, recently incorporated into Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, staged a road blockade and chakkajam on Saturday to protest against neglected civic services. Villagers cited serious issues with sewage lines, pothole-ridden roads, garbage mismanagement, traffic congestion, and irregular water supply.
The protest was a result of the municipal corporation’s repeated failure to address these basic amenities. A symbolic protest by local resident Bhupendra More, who planted a rose tree in a pothole earlier this week, had already drawn attention to the deteriorating road conditions.
During Saturday’s protest, Assistant Commissioner Pragya Potdar and Deputy Engineer Vijay Waghmode from the Sinhagad Road ward office were handed a memorandum listing the villagers’ demands. Protesters warned that if action is not taken promptly, they would escalate the agitation by blocking the Mumbai-Bangalore highway, a major arterial route.
Senior Police Inspector Dilip Daingde, Assistant Police Inspector Rajkumar Barde, and junior engineers Nishikant Chhapkar and Shubham Deshmukh visited the protest site to monitor the situation and manage traffic.
Narhe, part of the rapidly growing Sinhagad Road belt, has been facing increasing civic challenges since its inclusion in the PMC. Despite promises, residents claim no visible improvement in infrastructure or service delivery.
The protest caused traffic disruptions in the Dhayari–Narhe area, with commuters facing delays. Residents are now demanding swift action from PMC to avoid further unrest.
The incident reflects growing public frustration over urban neglect in newly merged villages, highlighting the need for timely infrastructure development and effective governance.
