Pune: District Court to Swargate Metro Still Stuck in ‘Traffic’: PM’s No-Show ‘Derails’ Opening

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

Pune, 26th September 2024: Pune Metro’s new route from Pune District Court Metro Station to Swargate Metro Station was scheduled to be inaugurated today by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. However, due to bad weather and an orange alert issued for Pune throughout the day, PM Modi’s visit was cancelled. Consequently, Punekars will have to wait a little longer for the District Court to Swargate route to open, as stated by Pune Metro officials.

In August 2023, two Pune Metro routes became operational. The first route was from Ramwadi Metro Station to Vanaz Metro Station, and the second was from PCMC to Swargate, with the then Civil Court Metro Station (now Pune District Court) serving as the interchange. However, on the PCMC-Swargate Metro route, Shivajinagar, District Court, Budhwar Peth, Mandai, and Swargate were underground stations. At that time, work was only completed up to the District Court Metro Station, while the remaining stations—Budhwar Peth, Mandai, and Swargate—were not operational, with their work recently completed.

The Pune Metro passes beneath the Mutha River between the District Court and Budhwar Peth stations, making construction time-consuming. Many residents of the Central Peth and Swargate areas, who need to commute daily to Pimpri Chinchwad and other parts of Pune, had no metro service. This service was supposed to open today after being inaugurated by PM Modi. However, due to the cancellation of his visit, which was anticipated because of rain (although the rain did not occur until the evening), residents of the Swargate and Central Peth areas now face a prolonged wait. Frustration has been expressed by many citizens, with some even blaming PM Modi and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Hemant Sonawane, Executive Director of Pune Metro, told Punekar News, “The metro service from Pune District Court to Swargate Metro Station was supposed to start today, with PM Narendra Modi inaugurating it. However, as he was unable to attend due to weather conditions, the inauguration couldn’t take place. We need a few days to assess the situation, but we won’t make residents wait too long, and a decision on when to start the service will be made quickly.”

Aryan Devne, a resident of Pimpri Chinchwad, expressed his frustration, stating, “I don’t understand why it is necessary to initiate this metro service with the Prime Minister’s inauguration. While that decision was made, he was unable to attend, so the service should simply commence. Residents like myself, who need to access the Swargate area or Central Peth regularly, would prefer to use the metro, as driving there can be quite inconvenient. Furthermore, the construction of the metro is already progressing at a slow pace. Therefore, once it is completed, why should there be additional delays for something as minor as the inauguration?”

Rishi Kakade, a resident of the Swargate area, stated, “Traffic is a significant issue in Pune today. Until now, I did not have a metro service close to my home, which I anticipated would open today. However, it hasn’t opened because the Prime Minister couldn’t come. It is disappointing how much longer we have to wait for the Swargate Metro to start, as Swargate is the heart of Pune City, and the peak areas lacking metro service are simply unacceptable. Additionally, the focus should be on the IMD, as they predicted rain for the entire day, but the rain did not arrive until the evening. I am sure the inauguration could have occurred in the morning before the rain, but the IMD created a false sense of alarm, prompting the PM to cancel his visit.”