End Metro work in Mandai area by August: Local MLA

Pune: Kasba Peth Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ravindra Dhangekar has instructed the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MahaMetro) to finish all of its major works underway in the crowded Mandai area by August, so as to avoid hardships to citizens living in and passing through the area during the forthcoming festive season. However, MahaMetro said that works on the underground stretch and station at Mandai will continue till December this year. At the same time, a plan will be chalked out to rearrange the barricades during festivals to ensure smoother movement of vehicles and people. Dhangekar recently conducted visits to the site to take stock of ongoing Metro works. He told TOI on Wednesday, "The Mandai area always faces traffic congestion. Metro works have added to the challenges by occupying additional space. The footfall of people goes up in the area during the festive season. MahaMetro should expedite its works and avoid unnecessary delays. We want the barricades to be cleared as soon as possible.” A similar demand was made by various Ganesh mandals a few days ago. Regular commuters through Mandai area have also highlighted that their daily hardships are compounded by Metro works, demanding relief soon. At present, while tunneling work has been finished by Metro authorities, the laying of tracks and various other steps are still pending. Responding to the uproar, an official from MahaMetro said, choosing to stay unnamed, “It looks impossible to finish all the works of the underground Metro station in Mandai before August. Around 60% of the underground station has been finished so far. We are targeting completion of the remaining work by December. Last year, we had rearranged barricades in some stretches during the festive season. MahaMetro will follow similar steps this year, too. We will prepare a plan jointly with Ganesh mandals.” Among five underground stations, Mandai will be the last one on the stretch to get ready. MahaMetro said that actual groundwork of the station started late as handing over of land for work from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) took time. “We had to do a lot of adjustments at the site because the entire area is very densely populated,” an official from MahaMetro said.
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