The heavy downpour has converted Pune’s Radha Chowk into a nightmare for commuters, as traffic congestion stays put for 15 to 30 minutes at peak hours. The Mhalunge area, which is a fast-developing hub located close to Hinjawadi IT Park, is struggling with intense congestion added to by poor drainage and weak infrastructure. While cars move inching through the waterlogged roads, locals are seeking immediate civic intervention to mitigate the worsening traffic situation in this congested corridor.
Mrudula Narale
Pune | June 02 , 2025: Radha Chowk, an intersectional point linking Mhalunge, Hinjawadi, Balewadi, and roads to Bangalore and Mumbai, witnesses a chaotic combination of buses, cars, and heavy transport vehicles. The exponential rise in the area, driven by hundreds of new housing societies, has left civic planning behind. Two-way roads from four sides intersect at the chowk, posing bottlenecks during rush hours. Heavy downpours aggravate the situation, with water gushing in from clogged drainage systems and making roads into dangerous, flooded stretches. Lack of traffic lights makes it necessary for police to regulate the flow manually, further contributing to the jams.
Five wardens, an officer, and a constable have been deployed by the Baner police station to decongest the area, but the volume of traffic from Hinjawadi is too great to be handled by them. Both Radha Chowk underpasses are opened at the same time during rush hours, but waterlogging still occurs, halting movement of vehicles and angering commuters. . Although the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been asked to clear the mess, the work has been slow, exposing roads to flooding.
The fact that there are four schools in the area complicates the issue. School buses and parent vehicles contribute to traffic congestion, and one cannot help but wonder how these schools were allowed without proper civic facilities. Commuters believe that a lack of electronic traffic signals makes the issue worse, leading to dependency on manual control, which is unable to match the high rate of vehicle flow. Lack of long-term infrastructural upgrades, including road widening or better drainage, has rendered Mhalunge incapable of meeting its increasing population and traffic pressures.
Citizens are calling upon the PMC to give importance to road repairs, clearing drainage lines, and the installation of traffic signals to ease passage. Some have proposed the use of water pumps to control flooding, a stopgap solution already put forward to local officials. The rapid urbanization of Mhalunge, driven by its proximity to Hinjawadi’s IT hub, underscores the urgent need for planned infrastructure development. As rains continue to disrupt daily commutes, the situation at Radha Chowk serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting civic planning. Immediate action is essential to restore smooth traffic flow, prevent further delays, and ensure safer travel for Pune’s residents
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