Traffic congestion hits new peak in Chakan MIDC belt

Time of India

5 days ago

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Pune: What was once a short and manageable commute has now turned into a daily nightmare for thousands of industrial workers travelling to Chakan MIDC.
With traffic congestion worsening year after year, workers say their travel times have nearly tripled, and it is taking a toll on their routine, income, and mental health.
Employees said journeys that earlier took 20-25 minutes now stretch to two hours, forcing them to leave home earlier and often return late.
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"Most companies have biometric attendance systems. Arriving even 15 minutes late results in being marked absent, causing salary deductions," said a Moshi resident, who commutes daily to Chakan MIDC.
Ravindra Lite, a resident of Bharat Mata Chowk in Moshi, has been working at Chakan MIDC for the past 19 years.
"I used to stay in Nigdi, 17km from my company. Six years ago, I shifted to Moshi because it is closer (12km away) and I hoped to get more time to spend with my family. But now, due to daily congestion, I end up spending more time on the road than before," he said. His travel time increased from 40-45 minutes to nearly two hours.
Lite added that if he arrives late, he has to stay back at work to complete his 8.5-hour shift.
Utkrant Chopade, a resident of Dehu-Alandi Road and an employee at Chakan MIDC for six years, said traffic has worsened significantly in the past two years.
"I now leave home half an hour early to make it on time. But I still get caught in snarls, especially because of heavy vehicles. The return journey is just as bad; I reach home 30 minutes later daily," he said.
The worsening congestion on Pune-Nashik Road and Talegaon-Shikrapur Road — the two critical routes connecting to Chakan MIDC — has sparked protests from local residents and industrialists, who are demanding immediate action from authorities.
Chakan resident Pratik Jadhav expressed frustration over the poor condition of roads and lack of accountability for their upkeep. "The roads are in terrible shape, and the agencies responsible, PMRDA, MIDC, and NHAI, keep blaming each other instead of fixing the issue. This, coupled with congestion, has led to fatal accidents in the area," he said.
Industrialist and Chakan resident Prashant Tope echoed concerns, stating that industry vehicles and employees are stuck in traffic on a daily basis.
"Authorities have failed to respond to our repeated complaints. They skipped essential pre-monsoon maintenance, and now the roads are filled with potholes, making things worse," he said.
Dhiraj Mutke, another local, said residents and industrialists held a protest last week to highlight concerns. "Following this, a meeting was held by the PMRDA commissioner with officials from all agencies concerned. But we remain sceptical.
These issues have existed for years, and we have only received empty assurances so far," he said.
Last year, Central govt approved funds for the proposed Nashik Phata-Rajgurunagar elevated corridor, but it remains delayed due to pending tendering procedures. Similarly, work on the Chakan-Shikrapur road, for which funds were approved earlier this year from state govt, is yet to begin.
PMRDA commissioner Yogesh Mhase told TOI that they have identified around seven roads that need to be developed on priority so that the congestion problem can be solved to some extent.
"We are also planning another anti-encroachment drive to restore the full width of existing roads," he said, adding that although a similar drive was conducted earlier, encroachments have reappeared, re-narrowing the roads and worsening traffic flow.
Mhase further said that other issues were also discussed in a meeting with all agencies concerned on Wednesday. "MSRDC has been tasked with repairing Talegaon-Shikrapur Road and filling potholes on a priority basis, while NHAI will focus on developing two-metre shoulders along the Pune-Nashik Highway," he said.
Delays in several road projects due to land acquisition hurdles were also discussed. "It was decided that PMRDA will intervene and attempt to acquire land through transfer of development rights (TDR) wherever possible to speed up pending works," Mhase said.
Vivek Patil, DCP (traffic) of Pimpri Chinchwad, told TOI that they have already banned movement of heavy vehicles between 8am to 11am and 5pm to 8pm on the problem stretches. "Traffic personnel and wardens were also increased earlier. We plan to deploy 10 traffic personnel and an officer in the region to manage the situation," he said.