Pune’s Hinjawadi Woes: Housing Societies Struggle with Isolation Due to Neglected Roads

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

Hinjawadi, 11th June 2024: Certain top societies in Hinjawadi feel isolated due to their inaccessibility from the main road. This issue affects multiple societies in Phase 2 behind the Wipro Technologies office. These societies, approximately 700 meters from the main road, lack proper access because the connecting road is in dire condition and needs urgent attention. The road is unpaved and becomes nearly impassable during the rainy season due to water stagnation and mud, making it slippery and difficult to drive or walk on. Residents have been complaining about this situation for the past 4-5 years.

The societies include Saarrthi Sovereign Housing Society, Global E Homes, and Pride Purple Park Connect, among other high-end societies in the area. Residents of these societies have lodged complaints with the Gram Panchayat, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and Baramati MP Supriya Sule since 2009.

Residents have also reported issues to transportation service providers like Uber, Ola, Rapido, and even school buses and vans, all of which refuse to come near the society. As a result, residents are forced to either drive their cars or, worse, walk to the main road. This becomes especially challenging due to a large pit on the road, which collects water and blocks the entire section even after minimal rainfall. This forces people to navigate through the bushes along the dirt road, where snakes have been spotted occasionally due to the dense vegetation.

Describing this dire situation, a resident stated, “When the MPs visited before the elections, they sought our votes. However, when we voiced our concerns about these issues, their expressions changed. Even they faced difficulties coming to this area, and since the election results, we haven’t seen anybody.”

Another resident mentioned, “Many children in our society attend schools in different parts of Hinjawadi or Wakad. The schools provide bus services, but due to a large pit in the road leading to our society, the buses refuse to come to our gate. We are left with no choice but to drive the kids to the main road, extending our round trip by more than one kilometer. In worse situations, we have to navigate through the slippery surface of the dirt road on foot.”

Another resident expressed frustration, stating, “I sometimes book cabs for my office commute. The cab drivers arrive but stop at the pit, asking us to walk. It’s a huge nuisance.”

Additionally, another resident mentioned that the land of the road leading to their society belongs to the builders of the society, Sovereign Builders. It is alleged that the land is actually owned by a villager who has leased it to the builder, making the builder responsible for building and maintaining the road. However, despite this responsibility, the builder seems to be ignoring all the problems associated with the road.

Yogesh Shende from Saarrthi group stated, “We had a development agreement with the landowner. When we constructed the society six years ago, we built the roads. However, the landowner has informed us that since the road is now included in the development plan of PMRDA, it is no longer our responsibility.”