Pune’s Pothole Nightmare: High Court Warns PMC Over Poor Infrastructure, Issues Strict Directives
Pune, 16th February 2025: The Bombay High Court has issued stern directions to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Maharashtra State Government over their failure to ensure well-maintained roads in the city. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL No. 88 of 2023) filed by activists Qaneez-E-Fatemah Sukhrani and Pushkar Kulkarni, who highlighted the civic body’s negligence in maintaining road infrastructure despite repeated court orders and expert recommendations.
In its order on February 6, 2025, a bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre recorded critical observations against PMC, stating that the civic body had failed to uphold citizens’ fundamental right to safe roads under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court also noted that PMC had not put in place a proper mechanism for citizens to report poor road conditions and seek time-bound redressal.
“The failure of PMC to act on expert recommendations and previous court orders forced us to approach the judiciary again. The citizens of Pune have been suffering due to dangerous roads, especially during monsoons, which not only lead to accidents but also contribute to traffic congestion and environmental pollution,” said petitioner Qaneez-E-Fatemah Sukhrani.
The court directed PMC to continue the Road Development and Road Maintenance Committee (RDRMC), ensuring that it functions regularly. Petitioner Sukhrani, a member of this committee, will continue to offer suggestions as needed. Additionally, PMC was instructed to involve third-party agencies such as the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) and Engineers India Ltd (EIL) for quality audits and assurance.
Criticizing the delay in committee meetings, petitioner Pushkar Kulkarni pointed out, “Despite the reconstitution of the RDRMC, there was an 8.5-month gap between meetings, right through the crucial monsoon months. Had meetings been conducted regularly, real-time road issues could have been addressed immediately.”
The petitioners also raised concerns about the lack of accountability within PMC’s engineering department. They noted that PMC has yet to establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to hold engineers accountable for road defects.
Following continuous complaints from citizens, PMC recently published a list of 57 engineers responsible for addressing road grievances. However, the petitioners argued that without a structured accountability framework, road issues would persist.
The PIL was filed in April 2024 after PMC repeatedly ignored orders from previous court cases, including PIL No. 111 of 2006 and PIL No. 71 of 2013, which had already directed the civic body to improve road maintenance. Despite expert reports such as the 2013 State Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) report and the 2016 RDRMC report, PMC had failed to implement key recommendations for scientific road construction and maintenance.
The petitioners sought the formation of an independent oversight committee, including a retired judge, legal experts, and road engineering specialists from IIT Bombay and the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), to ensure proper implementation of expert recommendations.
With the High Court allowing the petitioners to re-approach in case of serious grievances, the fight for better roads in Pune is far from over.
