Pune: Massive Traffic Jam on Sinhagad-Khadakwasla Road as Over 15,000 Tourists Flock Amid Monsoon Showers
Pune: A sudden spell of monsoon showers on Sunday drew a massive crowd of tourists to the Sinhagad-Khadakwasla area, leading to a severe traffic jam stretching up to 6.5 km from Donje to Khadakwasla. The downpour, coupled with the ongoing summer vacation, turned the region into a weekend hotspot, but also caused major vehicular congestion.
Despite light rains from the morning, tourists flocked in large numbers throughout the day, unlike the previous Sunday, which saw minimal footfall due to harsh sunlight. By 2 PM, traffic had started piling up near the Chowpatty stretch en route to Pune from Sinhagad. By 5 PM, the jam had extended all the way to Donje village.
Commuters reported a complete lack of traffic police presence. Local residents had to step in to manage the jam, especially near the Khadakwasla dam Chowk.
This is the first monsoon after the Khadakwasla area was brought under the Pune city police commissionerate, and officials seemed unaware of the area’s traffic dynamics. Local leaders urged authorities to deploy traffic police on weekends to prevent gridlocks.
Meanwhile, more than 15,000 tourists visited Sinhagad Fort over the weekend, generating over ₹1.25 lakh in nuisance fees for the Sinhagad Forest Protection Committee. A total of 2,067 two-wheelers brought around 4,250 visitors, while 1,250 four-wheelers carried another 6,250 tourists. An additional 4,000 visitors arrived in private transport, confirming the weekend rush to the popular monsoon destination.
