How Pune's indestructible JM Road shames contractors, babus, netas alike
Built in 1976, Pune's Jangli Maharaj Road, now lined with popular restaurants and some important temples, has only needed a few repairs and upgrades in all these decades.Its remarkable condition and longevity must put today's netas and babus to shame, especially in a time when headlines like these are all over the place: "Rs 6.5 crore Chikkodi bridge in Karnataka collapses just three months after inauguration", "Delhi airport roof caves in months after inauguration", "Heavy-duty truck swallowed by caved-in road in Gurugram".PUNE'S JM ROAD A CONTRAST TO INDIA'S CRUMBLING INFRASocial media is overflowing with videos and photos showing Indian cities' crumbling public infrastructure. A few weeks ago, citizens on social media dared netas and babus alike to fix the roads.While Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari promises Indian highways will be "better than the US in two years", even the recently constructed signature Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has developed a crater.This is for a highway cosntructed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), forget the roads inside cities, under state PWDs and urban local urban bodies.Why can't residents of every Indian city pull the Black Panther line when it comes to potholes and broken roads? Like Pune's 2.5-km Jangli Maharaj Road, a civic engineering marvel that's stayed strong for 49 years.The road connects the Jangli Maharaj Temple in Shivajinagar to the Deccan Gymkhana is named after a saint.advertisementJangali Maharaj, also known as Vishwatmak Gurudev, was born in 1818 in Baroda (now Vadodara in Gujarat) and gained his name from meditating in the dense Bhamburde jungles of Pune's Shivajinagar, where the road now stands. A disciple of Swami Samarth of Akkalkot, he was a towering figure over seven feet tall, known for his hatha yoga expertise and spiritual transformation.The road is culturally important too. The three 8th-century rock-cut cave sanctums known as the Pataleshwar Cave Temple, along with the Jangali Maharaj Samadhi (resting place) Mandir, are located on this road, which is a vital link in Pune's heritage.But there's no denying that Pune's 2.5-km Jangli Maharaj Road is a civic engineering marvel. Here's the road's story.HOW DROUGHT AND FLOOD PAVED WAY FOR JM ROAD'S TRANSFORMATION IN PUNEPune's JM Road is an arterial road constructed in 1976 by Recondo, a Mumbai-based company owned by two Parsi brothers.In 1972, Maharashtra faced a severe drought, followed by devastating floods in 1973 that destroyed Pune's roads.Shrikant Shirole, then a 21-year-old corporator and Standing Committee chairman, questioned why Mumbai's roads withstood heavier rainfall.City engineers pointed to a Parsi-owned Mumbai company, Recondo, which used advanced "hot mix" technology for durable roads.advertisementShirole, who was then the Chairman of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Standing Committee, was determined to replicate this in Pune, and convinced Recondo to take on JM Road's reconstruction, says additional commissioner of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Omprakash Dilwate.
Built in 1890 by his disciples, the Jangali Maharaj Temple (L) in Pune's Shivajinagar stands on the saint's samadhi beside the ancient Pataleshwar cave temple. The Pataleshwar Cave Temple, which is on the JM Road, was carved out of a single basalt rock in the 8th century. (Images: Mukul Hinge/WikiCommons and Arun Kumar/GoogleMaps)
Defying bureaucratic norms, no public tender was issued. The contract was awarded directly to Recondo with a written guarantee that the road would remain pothole-free for 10 years, with any repairs at no cost to the city, according to Dilwate.JM Road, constructed at a cost of Rs 15 lakh, was inaugurated on January 1, 1976.The road has remained flawless, requiring only minor maintenance since."The main road itself has remained unchanged. In 2010, it was resurfaced with tar, but in all these years, there has never been a single instance of potholes forming here," he tells India Today Digital.advertisementIn 2014, the JM Road underwent a makeover as part of Pune's Smart City Mission. Manicured flowerbeds, a cycle track, wider sidewalks, and improved lighting came to enhance walkability and sustainability.But what exactly did the Recondo, run by two Parsi brothers, do differently? What was the hot-mix technology they used? And, why has Pune's JM Road remained a shining example of how roads should be?BEST MATERIALS, WORKMANSHIP, PLANNING BEHIND PUNE'S JM ROAD'S POTHOLE-FREE STREAKJM Road's longevity is a result of a combination of meticulous design, the use of the best materials and the "hot mix" technology, which back then was new to India. It involved heating and mixing aggregates with bitumen, then laying and compacting the asphalt while hot to create a smooth, long-lasting surface."A long-lasting road is possible only if there is quality material used and the workmanship is good," Pune-based civic activist Vivek Velankar told The Times of India in 2022."The best materials were used and maintained throughout the procedure for Jangli Maharaj Road. The road is devoid of potholes even after 35 years since," Mahesh Zagade, a former Pune Municipal Commissioner, told the newspaper.
Lined with sprawling shade trees, Jangli Maharaj Road runs parallel to the Mutha River and passes close to Pune's Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Garden. (Images: Omkar Wable/GoogleStreetView)
advertisementThe architects of JM Road designed it with the foresight that it wouldn't have to be dug up in the future."Ducts for cable laying and storm water drains should be wide enough and along the edges of the road to ensure that they need not be dug once done. The excess axle load due to heavy vehicles can ruin a road," Zagade said.The JM Road's design prevented digging for civic works, which is a common cause of road damage elsewhere.Digital Marketing executive Siddharth Laxmeshwar, who said Punekars swore by Jangli Maharaj Road, said, "People used to refer to it as a British-era road, though that isn't true. I don't remember ever seeing it being repaired during my childhood.""However, since its tarring in recent years, the road has needed some maintenance," he adds.In 2014, the JM Road underwent a makeover. A two-layer tarring was done, lane marking added, junction beautification, storm water drainage improvements, reported The Times of India that year."Since then, the municipal corporation has worked on this road twice. On one occasion, under the Smart City project, a tender was issued to widen the footpaths along the road, and as part of this, a walking plaza and a cycling track were newly developed," says PMC's additional commissioner, Omprakash Dilwate.And today, the JM Road's legacy and example strikes the desired and legitimate contrast as India grapples with crumbling streets and pothole-ridden roads, including those in Pune city. The JM Road's story contrasts with India's infrastructure woes.The shoddy construction, driven by corruption and lack of accountability, is what is said to be behind it. JM Road shows that durable infrastructure is possible with quality materials, advanced technology, and integrity. For this very reason, JM Road has stood firm for nearly half a century.- Ends(With inputs from Omkar Wable)
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