PMC Chief Inspects Major Road Projects, Sets One-Week Deadline to Clear Katraj-Kondhwa Obstructions
Pune Municipal Corporation Commissioner Naval Kishor Ram inspected ongoing infrastructure projects across key traffic bottlenecks on Wednesday, directing officials to resolve longstanding land acquisition and utility shifting delays within a week to accelerate work on the Katraj-Kondhwa road, Gangadham Chowk flyover, and Vadgaon service road.
The key 84-meter-wide Katraj-Kondhwa road widening project, which has faced severe delays since 2017-18 due to land acquisition hurdles, has gained momentum following recent site clearances. Road department officials were instructed to relocate all electric poles and transformers obstructing the stretch within seven days, while civic authorities work to finalize land acquisition for the remaining 10 properties along the corridor.
At Gangadham Chowk, the civic chief gave clear orders to initiate construction on the proposed flyover to address daily gridlocks. Civic engineers were asked to hold direct negotiations with local property owners to secure necessary land parcels smoothly, avoiding lengthy legal disputes that could delay execution.
The inspection team also evaluated the pending 200-meter service road stretch between Swarna Hotel and Kudale Kaman near Navale Bridge on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway. Officials said talks with private landowners are being prioritized to acquire the patch, while coordination with National Highways Authority of India officers has been fast-tracked to expedite the main flyover construction in the accident-prone Navale Bridge bypass stretch.
Civic authorities estimate that the simultaneous completion of these projects will significantly reduce travel times across the southern corridor of the city, alleviating bottlenecks at Rajas Chowk, Gangadham Junction, and the national highway bypass. Additional Municipal Commissioner Omprakash Divte, City Engineer Aniruddha Pawshekar, and Chief Engineer Rajesh Bankar accompanied the commissioner during the site visits, with individual department heads instructed to submit weekly progress reports on land handovers and utility relocations.
Jayant Mahajan is a writer and contributor at PuneNow, covering the intersection of technology, climate action, and urban governance across Pune. With an extensive background in business management, digital transformation, and academia, Jayant brings real-world insight to local sustainability issues, from civic infrastructure to smart city data ethics. As an educator and founder of the Change Before Climate Change mission, he focuses on how Pune’s institutions and businesses can build future-ready, sustainable systems. Through his columns, Jayant bridges policy, technology, and practical action to help Punekars navigate a rapidly changing urban climate.
