Tathawade–Punawale Underpass Chokes Again

Pimpri-Chinchwad | The Tathawade–Punawale underpass on the busy Pune–Mumbai Highway in Pimpri-Chinchwad has once again turned into a symbol of administrative failure, as daily traffic jams, waterlogging during monsoons, and rising accident risks push citizens to breaking point.

Residents, daily commuters, and housing society members are openly questioning whether governance in one of Maharashtra’s fastest-growing urban corridors has completely collapsed. Despite years of complaints, the situation at the underpass continues to deteriorate, with no visible long-term solution in sight.

The stretch, which connects rapidly expanding residential and IT hubs near Pune, is now infamous for severe peak-hour gridlocks. Morning and evening traffic routinely comes to a complete standstill, turning short commutes into exhausting delays.

Citizens are furious. “We pay taxes, but we are forced to risk our lives every single day just to cross a few hundred meters,” commuters say, reflecting growing public anger. The frustration is no longer limited to inconvenience—it has escalated into concerns over safety and basic governance accountability.

The problem worsens dramatically during the monsoon season. Water accumulates heavily in the underpass, turning it into a dangerous trap for two-wheelers and cars alike. Several incidents of vehicle breakdowns and near-accidents have already been reported, yet no permanent drainage or structural solution has been implemented.

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Shockingly, even during late-night emergencies, including a recent case where patients returning from hospitals were stuck for over half an hour in traffic at around 12:30 AM, there was reportedly no traffic personnel deployed to manage the situation. Drivers claim that emergency movement becomes impossible when the jam peaks.

“Neither the administration nor the police seem to care,” one visibly angry motorist said, highlighting the complete absence of on-ground traffic regulation. The lack of coordination between civic authorities and highway agencies is now under sharp public scrutiny.

The area is believed to fall under the jurisdiction of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), but residents argue that local representatives—municipal corporators, MLAs, and MPs—cannot escape responsibility. They are being accused of failing to coordinate or pressure agencies for a permanent fix.

What began as a traffic inconvenience has now evolved into a governance crisis. Citizens are no longer satisfied with temporary measures or verbal assurances. They are demanding a time-bound, enforceable action plan before the situation claims lives. The message from Tathawade–Punawale is loud and clear: enough of excuses—fix the underpass, or accept responsibility for the chaos.

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