MNS gives Pune civic body two days to fix broken drain chamber cover at Patil Estate

The cover of a rainwater drainage chamber in Pune's Patil Estate area has been broken for several months. The chamber is on the old Pune-Mumbai highway, under the Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya flyover, near the rear gate of Chhatrapati Shivajinagar railway station, opposite Madhuri Snacks Centre in Patkar Plot. The safety of motorists and pedestrians has become a serious concern. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has demanded that the cover be repaired within the next two days.

The road is narrow and part of the old Pune-Mumbai highway. Two-wheelers, autorickshaws and four-wheelers pass in large numbers. Passengers travelling to and from Chhatrapati Shivajinagar railway station also pass through constantly. The broken cover has raised the risk of accidents at such a crowded spot.

According to local residents, vehicle tyres have got stuck in the chamber and been damaged, and there have been minor and major accidents. The MNS said that last week a small child's foot got stuck in the chamber and the child was injured.

As the cover was not repaired, residents placed a wooden door over it as a temporary measure. The door is reportedly also breaking under the constant movement of vehicles. Citizens have therefore demanded that the Pune Municipal Corporation act immediately, before a major accident occurs.

Local citizens, women and students had complained about the problem at the MNS office in Patil Estate. A memorandum was then submitted to the Pune Municipal Corporation commissioner, the assistant commissioner of the Chhatrapati Shivajinagar-Ghole Road ward office and the executive engineer of the roads department. The memorandum warns that if the chamber cover is not repaired within the next two days, the MNS will hold an agitation in front of the concerned office.

The memorandum was submitted under the guidance of Suhas Nimhan, MNS Pune city vice-president. Anthony Adhav, Sanjay Todmal, Kerba Jaunjat, Raju Bhekare, Ramesh Sathe, Kishor Ingawale and several other MNS workers were present.