Pune-Solapur Highway Deteriorates Within Months, Triggering Public Outrage and Questions on Official Negligence

Hadapsar, 29th May 2025: Barely eight months after being renovated, the Pune-Solapur National Highway has already started crumbling, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. Loose gravel and eroded asphalt have turned the stretch between Ravi Darshan Society and Fursungi Phata into a dangerous zone, prompting citizens to raise serious concerns about the quality of work and the accountability of responsible officials.

Expensive Renovation, Substandard Execution
The resurfacing of this section of the highway had come at a multi-crore cost, despite the earlier condition of the road being reportedly acceptable. Now, just a few early monsoon showers have exposed the poor workmanship—the top layer has peeled off, and gravel is scattered across the road, increasing the risk of accidents.

Ministerial Admission in Legislature, Yet No Action
In a prior session of the state legislature, former Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan admitted that some parts of the highway project were poorly executed. This acknowledgment came in response to concerns raised by MLA Bhimrao Tapkir, who questioned the quality of the roadwork. While Chavan claimed that repairs had been carried out by the contractor, on-ground conditions show no visible improvement.

Political Leaders Voice Their Anger
Rahul Shewale, General Secretary of BJP’s Pune district unit, also voiced strong displeasure:
“The highway has disintegrated due to poor-quality work. Negligence by officials has led to crores of public money going to waste.”

NHAI Blames Water Logging and Commercial Waste
According to Atul Surve, Section Engineer from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI):
“Water is stagnating due to silt and debris dumped by nearby businesses into drainage lines. This is causing the gravel to come loose. A notice has been sent to the contractor, and urgent repairs will be carried out.”

Prior Warnings Ignored
Citizens allege that officials were already alerted in writing about the substandard work. Locals had previously met NHAI officer Shruti Naik, requesting her to instruct the contractor to ensure better quality. However, these concerns were ignored, and today’s road conditions are a direct consequence of that neglect, residents say.