Pune: Market Yard Residents Protest After Elderly Woman Killed by Dumper on Gangadham Road
Pune, 13th June 2024: Residents of the Market Yard area organized a roadblock protest today in response to the tragic death of an elderly woman who was hit by a dumper on Gangadham Road yesterday. The protesters demanded decisive action from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Police against reckless heavy vehicle drivers who disregard the daytime ban on using the road. Santosh Nangre, Director of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee, joined the demonstrators.
The community’s primary demand was the installation of speed bumps from Gangadham Chowk to Aai Mata Mandir, an accident-prone uphill stretch. Officials from the Pune Police and PMC were present and assured the protestors that their concerns would be addressed. Despite regulations prohibiting heavy vehicle movement between 7 am and 9 pm, drivers frequently violate these restrictions on this route. Protesters emphasized the need for strict enforcement against such violators.
The victim, Damayanti Bhupendra Solanki (59) of Gangadham Road, was riding a scooter with her daughter-in-law Priyanka when the fatal accident occurred. Priyanka sustained severe injuries and is currently hospitalized. Following the incident, citizens apprehended the dumper driver, Ashok Mahato (37), and his helper Ganesh Prakash Bandal (36), both residents of Bavdhan. They were subsequently arrested by Market Yard police.
In response to the incident, enraged locals gathered at the Market Yard Police Station, demanding stringent action against the driver. A protest organized at Gangadham Chowk by the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) saw community members participating. Public figures urged the construction of a flyover connecting Aai Mata Mandir to the Poona Merchants Chamber offices due to ongoing residential and commercial developments along the Aai Mata Mandir to Gangadham Chowk stretch. Walchand Sancheti, a prominent businessman and head of the Federation of Trade Association of Pune, emphasized the urgency of constructing the flyover to alleviate traffic congestion in the area.
