Tejas Navale
Pune, May 21, 2025: Even after the deadline set by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation for road excavation for various works ended on May 15, there are still parts in the city where the work of road excavation and digging is being carried out. However, on this, the city engineer Makarand Nikam has expressed his resentment. Nikam has warned them and said that these excavations should be stopped immediately; otherwise, the PCMC would take strict action against those responsible.
Municipal Corporation, Pimpri-Chinchwad Smart City Limited Company, private networking companies, Mahavitaran, and Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) dig roads and footpaths for various works, including laying pipelines, service lines, cables, etc. After digging, underground service lines or cables are laid. However, if proper repairs are not made on these roads after digging and excavations, many potholes will occur during the monsoon.
These excavations of roads on the eve of the monsoon season damage the roads and increase the number of potholes. Therefore, the municipal corporation had allowed excavations only till May 15. After that, it had instructed not to dig any road further. For that, the municipal corporation had also warned of penal and criminal action against non-compliers. However, excavations are still going unabashed on these roads despite the warnings by the PCMC.
For example, a footpath was dug on Monday (May 19) to lay cables at MIDC Chowk on Landewadi Road in Bhosari. As soon as the municipal officials came to know about this matter, the digging was stopped immediately. Urban street design work is underway on the Nigdi to Dapodi route. Roads have been dug for this. In the Pimple Gurav area, Krishnaraj Colony and other internal roads have been dug for drainage channels.
After digging the roads, there is a risk of accidents due to not installing safety barriers there. The municipal water supply department is laying a water channel from Nigdi to Dapodi. For this, a BRT route has been dug. The water channel is being laid after digging.
On this, the City Engineer Makarand Nikam said that those who have initiated fresh digging should close the work as per the new deadline, i.e., until May 31; otherwise, strict action would be taken against them. “The deadline for digging has expired. Now, only digging is allowed for essential works like water supply and electricity. No one else is allowed. If someone digs, they will be penalised initially and then criminally prosecuted. Deadline till May 31 has been given to fill the dug roads and ditches,” said Nikam.
