Pune: Who Will Fix the Roads after Digging? Pune Residents Demand Reinstatement Timeline From PMC
Pune, 18th May 2025: The Association of Nagar Road Citizens Forum has raised serious concerns over extensive trenching works being carried out by Dinesh Engineers across Pune, questioning whether the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the state government have granted blanket permissions without any accountability or deadlines for road and footpath reinstatement.
In a letter addressed to the PMC Commissioner and Administrator, Qaneez Sukhrani, Convenor of the forum, pointed to widespread digging activities observed on Nagar Road and in the Viman Nagar area. The letter refers to PIL Nos. 88 and 141 of 2023, and highlights the lack of clarity in PMC’s official communication dated February 7, 2025 (outward ref. no. 12893) regarding who will restore the roads, at what cost, and by when.
“If this re-instatement is not done latest by May 31, 2025, in a procedural and complete manner, it will have serious repercussions to life and limb once the monsoon begins,” Sukhrani warned in the letter.
The forum has raised the following queries for clarification:
- On what basis was blanket permission given to Dinesh Engineers?
- Has PMC obtained NOCs from the traffic police for these trenching works?
- Why does the PMC letter fail to mention the agency responsible for reinstatement and its associated costs?
- Why is there no final deadline for completion of reinstatement in the communication?
The citizens’ forum has also demanded access to several key documents, including:
- A copy of resolution no. 6/1231 dated February 7, 2025
- A list of routes and modifications proposed by Dinesh Engineers
- A copy of the agreement between PMC and Dinesh Engineers
- Names of committee members constituted by PMC
- Defined scope and frequency of the committee’s meetings
- Minutes of the last committee meeting
- A copy of the trenching and restoration plan submitted by Dinesh Engineers
“These are basic questions that any responsible civic body must answer when allowing such disruptive works across a growing urban city. We need transparency and timely action to avoid chaos during the rains,” Sukhrani said.
With monsoon season approaching, citizens are urging the PMC to act swiftly, ensure proper restoration, and make public the terms of the trenching permissions granted.
