Pune: PMC Under Fire After Video Shows Hotmix Peeling Off Road Within Hours
Warje, 14th November 2025: A video exposing alleged substandard road repair work by a regional office of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has gone viral on social media, sparking public anger over the quality of pothole-filling work carried out under the ongoing ‘pothole-free city’ drive.
Residents from New Ahire reported that hotmix was laid directly over mud without removing the loose soil from the road surface. As a result, the freshly laid layer began peeling off within hours, raising serious questions about the quality of work executed by the contractors.
PMC has launched a citywide pothole repair campaign ahead of an upcoming cycling event, with a target of completing all repairs by the end of November. However, residents allege that the urgency of the campaign is being used as a cover for shoddy work. According to local complaints, some contractors were assigned the repair tasks without floating fresh tenders, allowing only select firms to take up the work on major as well as internal roads.
Citizens said that in several suburbs, hotmix was applied directly on wet soil or debris, leading to potholes reappearing merely an hour after repairs. The resurfaced asphalt also detached quickly, indicating poor supervision by the road department. Similar incidents have been reported from multiple parts of the city, prompting civic chief Naval Kishore Ram to take serious note of the viral video.
Municipal Commissioner Ram has directed immediate action against the contractors responsible and asked departments to explain how such work was approved without basic surface preparation. Notices have been issued to the concerned contractors and regional offices.
“A detailed explanation has been sought from the regional office and the contractors regarding the poor-quality road repairs. Action will be taken after their response.”
— Aniruddha Pawaskar, Head of Road Department, PMC
