Lives lost, patience exhausted: NIBM residents take to the streets to demand safer infra

Pune: Residents in Mohammedwadi, Undri and Pisoli intensified their protests over the weekend against systemic neglect of road safety and infrastructure in light of several recent accidents caused by heavy vehicles in the neighbourhood.

On Sunday evening, a silent protest was held at the top of the Pinnacle Ridge Road, where residents stood with placards against unsafe infrastructure and the proposed DP road in the area. On Saturday, hundreds gathered in Mohammedwadi to rally against "growing tanker raj" and worsening water shortages in rapidly expanding areas.

Parveen Tambe, co-founder of the NIBM-Undri Residents Forum, said the demonstration was a response to repeated inaction by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). "Our peaceful protest started at 5.30pm on Sunday. We are doing this to get some response from PMC as our demands are consistently ignored. We are standing against the DP road. It is hazardous and does not follow the law. Roads being built or repaired should follow rules and regulations set by the govt, not just thoughtless construction in the name of development. Public safety must be the first priority," he said.

PMC road department head Rajesh Bankar said work on the proposed road has been halted. "Future course of action will be taken after technical assessment and discussions with stakeholders," Bankar said.

Residents living along Good Shepherd Lane said the existing stretch was already difficult to navigate. Manasi Damley said the steep incline and bottleneck at the junction connecting the Pinnacle Ridge approach road to NIBM Chowk make daily movement challenging. "PMC should first consider the issues residents are already facing here. The road incline is not recommended for public use. Authorities should survey the area, understand the problems, and address bottlenecks," said Damley.

Other local residents pointed to the compounding risks of terrain and traffic. Sukbir Singh Sanghavi, chairman of a society in the area, said, "Traffic on NIBM-Undri Road has already increased, and cannot handle more. The slope is very steep, and vehicles come at speed. With another sloping road meeting it, the likelihood of accidents is high."

Jaideep Malaviya, another local resident, quipped, "DP will only increase our BP (blood pressure), not reduce any traffic issues."

NIBM Road resident Nisha Monteiro said repeated fatalities and poor enforcement have eroded trust in authorities and made routine travel feel unsafe.

"Protests like this are needed because our concerns always go unheard. This is not the first time fatalities have happened due to rash tanker driving or poor road conditions, and it may not be the last. As a parent, it is scary. Leaving home and coming back safely feels uncertain," said Monteiro.

Loose rubble and steep gradients have already caused skidding incidents, stressing on the need for stronger roads and stricter regulation of tanker movement, said Protima Bhaskar, a resident of Undri. "Due to poor road conditions and steep gradients, I have had several accidents where my scooter has skidded. It is scary how something like this has become normal for us. While many societies depend on water tankers, there must be stricter regulation for drivers and stronger roads that can handle such heavy vehicles," said Bhaskar.

(With inputs from Prasad Kulkarni)


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