Trench poses threat to residents of Tulshibaugwale Colony

PUNE: Two months ago, a huge trench was dug up near the playground in Tulshibaugwale Colony, Sahakarnagar, for laying underground cables and cleaning up the drains.
However, the work was left incomplete and the trench left open has been posing a threat to commuters and pedestrians.
While the ward office says it had opened a chamber to clean the drain only a few days ago, residents complain the trench has been there for quite sometime.
Local residents say at least eight individuals have injured themselves so far, either by falling into the trench, or by tripping on the footpath full of small pits and underground cables jutting out.
The trench, cut at the beginning of the road winding up around the ground, is haphazardly filled with manhole lids and bricks.
"Heavy rains have added to the slush around the already mess spot, making the space nearly unusable. To avoid the spot, vehicles often take a detour to reach the main road," says Rahul Mandlecha, the owner of a drug store located right next to the trench.
"When this trench was dug up to lay underground cables, the workers also dug up other parts of the road and footpath around it. Cars get stuck in the dug up mud and the footpaths, being covered with slush, have become slippery," says Mandlecha.
Mandlecha's wife Deepti says its best to avoid the spot at nights when the pits are not visible. "When the work was on, we had requested the workers to put some gravel on the dug up footpath in front of our store, but they refused. The small pit right next to our store was dug up last year. If this mess is left unattended, we will complain to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)," says Deepti.
Last month, a resident in this part of Tulshibaugwale Colony, suffered a ligament tear and a fracture after falling into the trench. "It was very slippery and after getting injured I had to undergo an operation. Such pits are dug up in greater numbers especially during the monsoons, and then left unattended," rues the injured resident who declined to be named.
Sahakarnagar ward officer Sandhya Gagare says a chamber at the spot was opened to clean the drains. "But it was opened up a few days back, and not two months ago. I have visited the site and ordered the closing of this chamber as soon as possible. We have not been able to do the patch work on the road as it has been raining."