December 1, 2025: Commuters on the 5.6-km Nigdi-Pimpri stretch of the Mumbai-Pune Highway continue to face serious safety hazards and inconvenience due to the ongoing Pimpri-Nigdi Metro extension, pipeline works, and urban street redevelopment. Despite repeated complaints, neither the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) nor Maha Metro has implemented adequate safety measures, leaving service roads damaged, narrow, and accident-prone, according to reports.
This year’s prolonged monsoon worsened conditions, filling the already dug-up service lanes with potholes and leading to multiple mishaps. Even with winter underway, repair work on side roads remains incomplete. Recently, a motorcyclist fell into an open trench dug for the metro project, highlighting the dangers posed by unfinished works.
While Maha Metro has assured that projects are being prioritised, sceptics question what exactly “priority” entails. Experts say that whenever road width is reduced, safe zones must be created so that commuters can navigate the stretch without undue risk. Such safety planning, they emphasise, should be integrated into the project design from the very beginning, with robust barricading wherever required.
Potholes should be promptly addressed to reduce accidents, as narrow lanes make it harder for vehicles to manoeuvre around hazards. An open trench on such a road is not just negligent but potentially criminal, as shown by the recent incident involving a motorcyclist.
Authorities must put people first. When nearly all roads are affected, safeguarding human life must take precedence over project timelines. If ongoing upgrades result in accidents or endanger lives, the project cannot be deemed worthwhile. Proper planning, immediate repairs, and strong safety measures are essential to ensure commuters can travel without risk while infrastructure development proceeds.
Neglecting these precautions not only undermines the project’s purpose but also puts everyday commuters in peril, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and action.
Source: Mid-day
