Hey Pune folks, it looks like the Wakad Balewadi Bridge has been causing quite a stir in recent news. The bridge, built to connect areas like Vishal Nagar, Kaspate Wasti, Pimple Nilakh, Wakad, Baner, and Balewadi, has been closed for years now, much to the frustration of residents.
With a growing population in these areas, daily travel has become a hassle with only two congested routes available. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) approved the bridge back in 2013, but it has remained unused since its completion in 2018-19.
Residents have had enough and have taken matters to the Bombay High Court by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The High Court recently heard the case and has asked the PMC and other respondents to submit an affidavit by September 30, 2024, detailing why the bridge remains closed.
The petitioners, Abhijit Garad and Sandeep Mandloi, are fed up with the inaction of authorities and are demanding that the Wakad Balewadi Bridge be opened for public use. They argue that the bridge’s closure is not only wasting public funds but also causing safety risks and unnecessary congestion on the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway.
Advocate Satya Muley, representing the petitioners, has called out the PMC for its failure to address the connectivity issues on the Balewadi side. Despite promises of a connecting road being developed, residents have seen no progress in the past 6-8 years.
It’s time for authorities and politicians to step up and deliver on their promises. The Wakad Balewadi Bridge needs to be opened for public use to ease the daily commute for thousands of residents. Let’s hope that the Bombay High Court’s intervention will finally bring some much-needed action on this long-standing issue.
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