Latest news with #TeamSwachhKalyaniNagar
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Time of India
One Year Later, No Change On Ground: ‘Back to square one': Locals say lounges, pubs in Pune flout rules again
1 2 3 A year after the Porsche Taycan car crash in Kalyaninagar on May 19, 2024, which claimed the lives of two young IT professionals, the initial urgency shown by authorities to regulate the city's nightlife appears to be waning. Residents of Kalyaninagar, Koregaon Park and Mundhwa say action that followed — hailed at the time as a much-needed cleanup—has not sustained, and offenders are creeping back. In the immediate aftermath, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), state excise department and the police launched enforcement drives. From May to July 2024, over 72 establishments were inspected, 28 pubs served closure notices, and 14 rooftop eateries sealed for safety violations. Licences of nine establishments were suspended by the excise department for non-compliance. However, citizens' groups said that more than 80% of these businesses resumed operations within three months, often with restored licences and minimal follow-up inspection. "It was a brief show of force," said Monica S, a Kalyaningar resident. "Encroachments came back within days. Rooftop pubs without fire safety clearances are back in action. The public was led to believe things would change, but we're back to square one," she said. Aaditya Patil, another Kalyaninagar resident, said, "There was a noticeable improvement initially — better monitoring, timely closures, and fewer violations. But the discipline didn't last. Today, patrons of eateries serving alcohol spill onto footpaths and roads. Police visibility and citizen pressure have helped control operating hours, but enforcement around licence norms has slipped. Civic engagement is growing, but it's not enough. The balance we had briefly is already fraying." Similarly, Drayson Dixon of Team Swachh Kalyani Nagar said, "Citizens are now more aware and vocal. We've filed over 150 complaints this year regarding noise and operational violations. Despite this, some establishments continue to flout rules, often backed by influence or loopholes. Unless enforcement from PMC and the excise department becomes systemic and unrelenting, we will slip back into pre-crash chaos. " Pune police claimed they have consistently cracked down on drunk driving. As per data, 6,523 motorists were booked for driving under the influence between May 2024 and April 2025 — a 40% increase over the previous year. Regular nakabandis in Koregaon Park, Kalyaninagar and Viman Nagar in the six months following the accident helped deter reckless driving, they said. Residents demurred. Rohan Desai of the Koregaon Park Welfare Association added, "Loud DJ nights, street parking, and alcohol service without proper regulation have resumed. Minor accidents happen almost daily, but there's no deterrence. The lack of accountability is concerning."
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Indian Express
Drunk driving case detection increases after Porsche case, citizens seek more action
The detection of drunk driving incidents in Pune city saw a rise after the infamous Porsche accident last year, according to data obtained from the Pune traffic police. From an average of 98.5 cases recorded per month in the first four months of 2024, the number jumped to 611.5 cases on average —- recorded from May onwards, the month the accident that claimed two lives took place. This trend of higher cases has continued into 2025. However, citizens say these steps by the police are not enough and demand more surveillance and enforcement of rules. Pune Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil explained the reason for the increase. 'We regularly have nakabandis on the weekends. If there is any festival like Holi, we increase nakabandi. We also do surprise inspections, reason why the figures have increased. If you compare it with the figures from 2020-23, 2024 is almost twice. What we are seeing is that a lot of violations are happening.' Patil said that around 20-25 nakabandis are in place every week. He also said the dip in numbers in September is due to the annual Ganeshotsav, during which traffic police are involved in other duties. Steps not enough: Residents Munir Vastani, a resident of Kalyani Nagar, told The Indian Express, 'When I go to Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar at night, I see bars serving liquor after the permitted operational hours. If the government is giving so many licences, they should implement some rules to control drunk driving.' Vastani said the onus to control drunk driving needs to be put on the bars. 'It is normal for people to drink in bars and step out and drive a vehicle. The police are not very particular doing these checks. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was going around Kalyani Nagar at 1-3am and there was no police nakabandi or patrolling. Patrolling alone will not solve the issue. If a drunk driver is seen coming out of a pub, that pub should face some serious consequences like cancellation of licences.' Haresh Barwani, another resident of Koregaon Park and a member of Team Swachh Kalyani Nagar, said, 'If you look around the Bishop's School in Kalyani Nagar every weekend, at least 50 cars are parked there. Assuming that only 50 per cent of these people are drinking, that is still a lot of drunk drivers. Are these many cases being registered?' He also alleged that some bars were converting residential areas into commercial areas without obtaining no-objection certificates from societies. 'The police should regularly check the bars and pubs, whether any violation is happening or not. Bars also encroach upon open areas like parking bays and convert it into a bar. Various departments like PMC, excise, and traffic need to act on this. '
