In recent days, accidents in Pune have been on everyone’s radar, as their frequency is not decreasing. Along with driver indiscipline, flaws in the traffic management system are also to blame. As a result, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Guardian Minister of Pune District, Ajit Pawar, held a meeting where he made an important decision. Pawar decided that the control of traffic signals, previously under the control of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), will now be managed by the Pune Police.
Transfer of Traffic Signal Control
Before this meeting, the PMC was in control of all the traffic signals in Pune city. Since repairs and maintenance were also under PMC’s jurisdiction, if any signal was down or damaged, the police had to allocate manpower to the area and make multiple trips to the PMC to request repairs. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has now transferred this responsibility to the Pune Police. They will receive all the funds for traffic signal maintenance and can quickly repair malfunctioning signals as they are the first to notice them. Currently, approximately 50% of the signals in Pune are malfunctioning.
Immediate Measures Directed by Ajit Pawar
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directed all administrative departments to coordinate and take immediate measures to prevent water accumulation on the roads due to rain in Pune and to address traffic jams. He emphasized that citizens should be vigilant to avoid any problems during the rainy season. Cooperation Minister Dilip Valse Patil, MLA Dilip Mohite Patil, MLA Siddharth Shirole, Divisional Commissioner Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, PMC Commissioner Dr Rajendra Bhosale, Pune Collector Dr Suhas Diwase, Pimpri Chinchwad Temporary In-charge CP Sunil Ramanand, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) Commissioner and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Temporary Commissioner Rahul Mahiwal, and others were present.
Key Points Addressed by Ajit Pawar
On this occasion, Ajit Pawar said, “Due to the pre-monsoon rains recently in Pune, many areas experienced waterlogging and traffic congestion. To prevent this from happening again, the PMC, Pune Police, PMRDA, Public Works Department, and others should coordinate to ensure citizens don’t face any problems.”
Pawar continued, “The PMC should respond quickly at disaster sites. Dangerous hoardings in the city and surrounding areas should be removed immediately. Encroachments on the roads that obstruct traffic should be cleared. The PMC should clean the drains quickly. A security audit of advertisement boards should be conducted. Strict action should be taken against those putting up illegal billboards by demanding the immediate removal of dangerous hoardings in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad cities.”
Pawar concluded, “If a tree falls on the road due to rain or wind, the road should be cleared for traffic immediately using modern machinery. The National Highways Authority of India should take measures to prevent water from entering the bridges from Katraj to Ravet. Necessary action should be taken to widen the service road near Warje Junction. Permanent planning should be done to remove traffic congestion in the Hinjawadi IT Park area. If necessary, provisions will be made in the budget.”
Updates from PMC Commissioner
PMC Commissioner Dr Rajendra Bhosale said, “3,500 garbage cleaners have been appointed in Pune city. Information about places where rainwater accumulates in the city has been collected, and actions are being taken to prevent water accumulation at these spots. Arrangements have been made to clean the chambers, and nets have been put on them. 46 officers are appointed for monitoring at the ward level, with 15 more employees assigned to each ward. Measures have been taken as per the suggestions received from citizens. Additional funds have been provided ward-wise. 1,800 unauthorized advertisement hoardings have been removed in the city.”
