Pune: Concrete Spillage on Sinhagad Road Causes Accident; Officials Face Criticism for Inaction

Sinhagad Road, 23rd July 2024: On Saturday (20th July), a two-wheeler driver was slightly injured after falling due to slipping on spilt concrete on the road. This incident occurred following a spillage of cement concrete from an RMC mixer vehicle on Sinhagad Road, between Dhayari Phata and Lagad Mala in Pune.

Two weeks prior, on 6th July, the media reported that the concrete had spilt from the mixer. Following this, officials from the Sinhagad Road Ward Office cleaned the cement and took action against the RMC mixer plant, imposing a significant fine. Additionally, RMC was supposed to hire two workers for daily cleaning of the area where concrete spills occur. However, due to the lack of workers, small piles of cement concrete on the roads have been causing accidents involving two-wheeler drivers.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration and the owner of the RMC mixer have not addressed the issue. Drivers and citizens are calling for the municipal administration to take immediate action to remove the spilt concrete, which is causing accidents.

Sandeep Khalate, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of the Sinhagad Road Ward Office, stated that concrete spillage occurs during transportation from the RMC mixer on Sinhagad Road. He assured that the construction department would be informed to take action and that strict measures would be taken against the concrete-spilling plant.

Rajkumar Barde, Assistant Police Inspector of the Sinhagad Road Traffic Branch, mentioned that penal action would be taken against dumpers transporting cement concrete beyond capacity and vehicles carrying concrete in RMC mixers, following RTO rules.

Mahesh Pokale, a local leader from Uddhav Sena, stated that concrete spilt from a mixer had fallen onto the road, causing a traffic jam. He emphasized that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) must promptly clean the road by removing the spilt concrete. The situation has led to both minor and major accidents involving bikers. Pokale stressed that the administration should take stringent action against this issue. He further demanded that the concerned companies be warned about such incidents, and if they fail to comply with the regulations, the administration should enforce strict penalties.