A pedestrian was killed while crossing the Pune-Satara highway near Gogalwadi Phata in Shindewadi, Bhor, on Thursday night, prompting renewed anger over the slow construction of a pedestrian flyover at the accident-prone location.
The incident occurred as residents were still being forced to cross the busy highway on foot despite construction having started on an iron flyover intended to improve pedestrian safety. According to a report by Lokmat – Pune, the project has been progressing at a very slow pace, leaving pedestrians exposed to fast-moving highway traffic.
Gogalwadi Phata has witnessed repeated accidents, and local residents have been demanding a pedestrian crossing facility for several years. Work on the flyover began a few months ago, but residents have alleged that the pace of construction remains inadequate. They have also claimed that poor planning around the ongoing work is creating obstructions for daily highway traffic.
The latest death has intensified criticism of the National Highways Authority of India’s handling of the project. Residents have questioned why pedestrians continue to risk their lives crossing the highway when construction of a dedicated facility is already under way.
Local residents claim that between 15 and 20 people have died in accidents in the area so far. The figure was reported as a claim made by residents and was not independently established in the supplied report. The repeated accidents, however, have made the delayed completion of the flyover a continuing public-safety concern for people living near Shindewadi and using the highway crossing.
Arvind Shinde, former sarpanch of Shindewadi, alleged that the work was of poor quality and was progressing slowly, increasing the risk of further accidents. He questioned how many more people would have to die before the flyover was completed. Shinde also demanded that cases of culpable homicide be registered against officials of the National Highways Authority of India for alleged dereliction of duty.
Residents have warned that they may block the highway and launch a protest if the work is not completed immediately. The supplied report does not provide a response from the National Highways Authority of India, details of the contractor, a scheduled completion date or information about temporary pedestrian-safety measures at the site.
