4 days ago
PCMC introduces dedicated app for pothole complaints, residents under PMC limits also demand quick response
Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has launched a dedicated mobile app to enable citizens to directly report potholes in their localities.
The 'PCMC Pothole Management' app aims to streamline the complaint process, ensure quicker responses, and enhance road maintenance, especially during the monsoon.
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A PCMC official told TOI that residents can upload geo-tagged photos of potholes through the app, allowing the civic body to pinpoint exact locations and assign the issue to the junior engineer concerned. Citizens will also be able to track the real-time status of their complaints through the app.
Devanna Gattuwar, executive engineer from PCMC's civil department, said that once a pothole complaint is received, the designated official is expected to resolve the issue within eight days.
"After completing repairs, officials must upload a photo of the site to the app, which is visible to the complainant. This ensures transparency and accountability," Gattuwar added.
The app also enables senior PCMC officers to monitor progress and take action if complaints remain unresolved. The pending issues are escalated to higher authorities for timely redressal. In two days after its launch, the app has already received 16 complaints, said Gattuwar.
Citizens can also continue to use the existing 'Saarthi' helpline or its app to report potholes. At present, the civic body receives an average of six to seven pothole-related complaints under each ward office's limits per day through the helpline.
The early arrival of the monsoon this year disrupted PCMC's road maintenance schedule, prompting a possibility of increased complaints. Gattuwar explained that utility agencies involved in laying cables and pipelines were supposed to complete resurfacing work by June 1, but rain has affected the timeline.
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"We are now expediting repair work to minimise inconvenience to the public," he told TOI.
Meanwhile, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) years ago introduced helplines for citizens to lodge complaints about potholes in their areas — this can be done over landline phones or an online complaint system called 'PMC Care'.
However, residents and activists asserted that this system needs to be more effective. "We lodged a complaint about potholes and other pre-monsoon related works in our area through the online system, but the reaction time for resolving the complaint is very high.
The redressal should be fast," Bavdhan resident Ashwini Pathak said.
Sanjay Shitole, an activist from the social group Pune City Eye, claimed PMC's complaint system is "just a formality". "Many times, complaints related to potholes or bad roads are resolved only on paper while the situation on ground remains as is. Action should be taken against officials who are not acting on citizens' issues," he said.
PMC's road department head Aniruddha Pawaskar refuted, "A decentralised system has been introduced for quick redressal of such complaints.
Issues raised by citizens are categorised as per location and forwarded to local ward offices for swift action. Initiatives like road ambulances have also been introduced to address pothole complaints during the monsoon period."
Finish road works by June 7: PMC
On Monday, a meeting was held by PMC additional commissioner Omprakash Divate to review ongoing road digging works. Divate has asked all departments to finish reinstatement of routes by June 7. He also asked various department heads to check on the quality of repair works. Officials from the road, drainage, and electrical departments attended the meeting.
