A roughly 100-metre access road serving a 180-flat housing society and nearby settlements in Pune’s Kondhwa Budruk has developed crater-sized potholes, prompting residents to demand immediate repairs and action against encroachments along Punyadham Ashram Road.
Residents of Fortune Prospero Housing Society said the connecting stretch between their complex and the main road remains severely damaged even after the monsoon rains have subsided. The road is also used by residents of nearby settlements and industrial workers travelling to the Tyni Industrial Estate in Pisoli.
A resident of Fortune Prospero said the society has more than 180 flats and is located only a few metres from Punyadham Ashram Road. The resident said motorists were struggling to navigate the damaged stretch and that residents had expected civic officials to begin repairs once the rains ended.
Tanvi Shaikh, another resident, said the road had become unsafe for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers. According to her, the narrow width of the stretch, movement of heavy vehicles and presence of large potholes had increased the risk of accidents.
“There is no tar visible on the road. Given its condition, it is difficult to even call it a road,” Shaikh said. She added that residents pay municipal taxes but feel that the condition of the road leaves them living in an area with inadequate basic infrastructure.
Residents also alleged that encroachments along Punyadham Ashram Road were worsening congestion. They claimed that there had been no visible anti-encroachment drive in recent months and that obstructions were restricting vehicle movement, particularly during peak hours.
The complaints highlight the difficulty faced by neighbourhoods where short connecting roads carry traffic from housing societies, surrounding settlements and industrial areas but remain outside the attention given to larger road projects. In this case, residents said the damaged access stretch is an essential link to the main road, making its condition a daily mobility and safety concern rather than an isolated surface defect.
Shaikh also contrasted the condition of the local access road with road construction undertaken by the district administration for a cycling tour. Her comment reflected residents’ concern that routes used regularly for commuting and access to homes had not received comparable attention.
Residents have urged the Pune civic administration to repair the damaged stretch, remove obstructions and take steps to improve traffic flow and road safety. The report did not include a response from the Pune Municipal Corporation or details of a scheduled repair or anti-encroachment operation.
