Pune: Road Built 15 Days Ago in Handewadi Dug Up Again by Water Supply Department Contractor
Handewadi, 29th August 2023: Despite orders for improved coordination between the Road Department and Water Supply Department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) during road excavation, administrative lapses continue to hinder progress.
A recent incident in Handewadi highlights the ongoing challenge, where a road that was asphalted just 15 days ago at Mahatma Phule Chowk has now been dug up without prior notification due to a water supply scheme.
As the city’s roads faced the brunt of deterioration, the Municipal Corporation issued six tenders totaling Rs 300 crores for roads admeasuring 100 km. The road in Handewadi was resurfaced under the fourth tender a mere 15 days ago.
Subsequently, a JCB excavator was employed to dig up a section of Mahatma Phule Chowk under a water supply scheme. Regrettably, the contractor undertook this excavation without alerting the road department officials in advance. Surprisingly, officials from the water supply department were also unaware of this operation.
In the preceding month, a meeting convened by Additional Commissioner Vikas Dhakne brought together officials from the road department, water supply, electricity, sewage department, and other relevant departments. The objective was to foster collaboration among these entities to ensure smoother execution of their respective responsibilities.
Part of this strategy involved directing department heads to formulate a monthly plan encompassing critical tasks. However, the recent incident at Handewadi illustrates a lack of cohesive efforts, as evident in the unplanned and simultaneous excavation work conducted by contractors without proper communication between departments.
“The road in Handewadi was asphalted 15 days ago under package four. The subsequent excavation for the water supply scheme was undertaken without any prior communication about the conflicting work,” shared V. G. Kulkarni, Head of the Roads Department.
The contractor had initially secured permission for the excavation work. However, after the road resurfacing, the contractor proceeded with the excavation without seeking subsequent permission or informing relevant authorities.
Nandkishore Jagtap, Superintending Engineer of the Water Supply Department, affirmed, “Appropriate punitive measures will be taken against the contractor for this breach.”
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