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Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
‘Rush hour is now crawl hour': damaged roads in Pune's Nigdi-Akurdi, Tathawade frustrate commuters; residents seek urgent repair
Written by Riddhi Berry & Shubham Kurale Commuters plying through the service road between Nigdi and Khandoba Mal Chowk in Akurdi and on Tathawade Road have been grappling with potholes and damaged drainage chambers for over a month. Fed up with the daily ordeal, residents have demanded urgent repairs on the stretch instead of patchworks. Rohit Narayankar, a resident of Nigdi Pradhikaran, commutes daily to Shivajinagar for work. 'Since June, we have been facing this inconvenience, and it has become risky for two-wheelers to navigate around potholes that are a foot deep. Even buses are getting stuck in the damaged drainage chambers, causing the morning rush hour to turn into crawl hour,' he said. 'I have seen minor accidents happening regularly along the service road, and the patchwork done recently just saw the addition of some paving blocks, which has made the stretch even more unstable. It damages the vehicle's suspension, adding to maintenance costs, besides causing back aches and neck pain,' added Narayankar. 'There is congestion on the Tathawade service road in the morning because of the potholes. I often get late while going to work and cannot open my shop on time,' said Raju Ram Bishnoi, who owns a grocery store on Tathawade Road. 'We face a lot of problems due to damaged roads, which is why many people prefer a different route,' he said. As many prefer alternative routes, businesses on the stretch are affected. Popat Ranade, the owner of a plant nursery along the Tathawade service road, said, 'I don't get a lot of customers because the roads are bad and there is also a lot of construction work going on. If the roads were good, more people would use them and buy plants from my shop.' 'Heavy vehicles for the Metro work nearby worsen the traffic, while luxury buses from the Rudra parking area add to the snarls as they halt on the narrow road. We want development projects. We also understand that issues will happen, but with better quality of roads and management, this inconvenience can be addressed,' said Onkar Chakane, a resident of Akurdi. Several school buses as well as buses of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) frequent the narrow service road. 'It is not just the people who travel in public transport that face safety issues, many children are commuting in school buses that have to pass through the road, and serious accidents could take place,' says a resident of a housing society in the area. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ashlesh Chavan, Junior Engineer, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), said that the excavation work for the Pune Metro project has loosened the area below the road, 'which is causing potholes, particularly on the asphalt roads. We have done patchwork in those sections, and care has been taken that the potholes do not re-emerge.' 'People can complain about potholes on our new 'PCMC PotHole Management' app, which offers the option to geo-tag photos. Latitude and longitude data provides its exact location, and prompt action is taken to repair it,' Chavan added. On July 5, the Sumit Social Foundation, an NGO, even conducted a bell-ringing protest in front of the Bajaj Auto office in Akurdi, calling for urgent repairs on the stretch. (Riddhi Berry & Shubham Kurale are interns with The Indian Express)
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Indian Express
‘Paid Rs 50 per head, worked for over 14 hours': After 18 months in captivity, tribal family rescued from bonded labour in Pune
(Written by Shubham Kurale) As many as 14 members of a tribal family were rescued Thursday from a farm in a village in Maharashtra's Pune district, where they were held in captivity for 18 months as bonded labourers after multiple government agencies, including the District Legal Services Authority, and NGOs launched an operation. The Bhil family, who are sugarcane farmers from the Jalgaon and Dhule districts, had come to work as labourers in December 2023, but found themselves trapped in what authorities describe as 'hostage-like conditions' on the farm of the Rangkise brothers in the Ranjangaon-Sandas village in Shirur. The family said it took a loan of Rs 1.55 lakh from Nandu Rangkise and Appa Rangkise. However, the family received only Rs 85,000 in hand, with the rest taken by middlemen. 'We were told to work in Ranjangaon for around three months during the sugarcane harvest season, and then return to our hometown. But the Rangkise family took us hostage, and said we cannot leave until all the money is paid back,' said Jijabai Bhil, 46, one of the victims. What followed was an exploitation that lasted one and a half years, during which the family was subjected to gruelling working conditions that violated basic human rights. 'On average, we were paid Rs 50 per head. A typical work day was over 14 hours. No medical aid or help was received, even child's delivery happened in huts. We had an area marked, beyond which we couldn't move,' said Dadabhau Bhil, 35, another victim. 'Whenever we tried to access mobiles to call our relatives to save us, they restricted our entry and used to physically assault and verbally abuse us. Seven family members worked without a weekly holiday, earning approximately Rs 3,000 per month for the entire family,' he added. The rescue operation began when relatives managed to visit the site and raised an alarm. Manga Bhil, 65, a family member, contacted the Jan Sahas NGO helpline, which took immediate action. 'After learning that my family was tortured for one and a half years, I contacted the Jan Sahas NGO helpline, and cognisance was taken,' said Manga. Under the Migrants Resilience Collaboration programme, Jan Sahas initially reported the incident to the district collector of Jalgaon, who then informed the Pune Collectorate. The rescue work began on June 27 in collaboration with Pune's District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and Nirman Bahuuddeshiya Vikas Sanstha. According to officials, they faced multiple challenges during the rescue operation. 'When we visited the site, we were only provided one police personnel from the Yavat Police Station. As we started interacting with the accused, many villagers surrounded us, and we were not able to take the family back,' said Sonam Kedar of Jan Sahas. They got a boost Wednesday when the District Legal Services Authority intervened, and provided adequate support from multiple departments. 'With the help of DLSA, officials from the labour department, revenue department and police, we were able to release the Bhil family. But the initial delay and incoherent police statement have saved the accused brothers. They have not been arrested, nor has any legal action been taken against them so far,' Kedar added. The rescued family now faces the challenge of rebuilding their lives. Without proper identification documents, they cannot access government services and benefits. 'After receiving the letter of release from the government authorities, we would enrol them in a rehabilitation centre and get the essential documents done so that they can get the benefits of the Loknete Gopinath Munde Sugarcane Workers Welfare Scheme and will ensure their children get education,' said Siddhi Bhaishete of Nirman Bahuuddeshiya Vikas Sanstha. Sonal Patil, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Pune, acknowledged the broader implications. 'Such cases defy our presumption that the practice of bonded labour has vanished. The DLSA and the Pune Collectorate responded immediately after we were informed about the case. Initially, there was hesitancy and delay by the local authorities to act,' Patil told The Indian Express. 'Such delays can work in favour of the accused. During this period, they can manipulate the victims. In most cases, we don't get the exact statement from them, without which we can't file appropriate charges, and it adversely affects the conviction rate. However, such cases can be prevented in the future if the departments concerned and stakeholders keep a vigil and act swiftly,' Patil added. Efforts are underway to ensure the family receives proper documentation, rehabilitation support, and access to government welfare schemes designed to protect vulnerable tribes. (Shubham Kurale is an intern with The Indian Express.)
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
‘At 1,000 feet above ground, the aircraft engines suddenly lost power': how a Pune pilot survived a crash, learnt to fly again
Written by Shubham Kurale, The morning of July 25, 2022, started like any other training day for Bhavika Rathod. The 24-year-old pilot trainee from Pune's Swargate had already completed 150 flying hours towards her commercial pilot licence. She was confident, attentive, and just 50 hours away from achieving her childhood dream. But at 11.30 am that day, everything changed in an instant. A talk that ignited a desire Bhavika studied in Pune's Muktangan English School, where a guest lecture by a pilot planted the first seeds of her aviation dreams. 'That lecture stayed with me throughout school,' Bhavika recalls. 'I kept thinking about what it would feel like to be up there, responsible for taking people safely to their destinations.' 'After completing Class 12 in 2019, I took my dream of becoming a pilot seriously and started searching for flying schools. The process got delayed due to the COVID-induced lockdown, and finally, in October 2021, I got into Carver Aviation flying school in Baramati,' she says. To obtain a commercial pilot licence, one needs to complete 200 flying hours and clear six theory papers, which usually takes around two years. 'After completing 150 flying hours, it was a normal day for me. I took off from Baramati in a Cessna-152 aircraft for a routine cross-country flight,' Bhavika remembers. 'Just 15 nautical miles into the journey, at about 1,000 feet above ground, the aircraft engines suddenly lost power.' With no option to return to the departure point, Bhavika's training kicked in. 'I spotted a slightly moist patch of farmland in Kadbanwadi village in Indapur, exactly what my instructors had taught me to look for to reduce landing drag,' she said. In those terrifying moments between engine failure and ground contact, Bhavika managed to safely crash-land the aircraft. She survived with only minor scratches on her chin. No one on the ground was hurt, despite the plane crashing less than 100 feet from the nearest house. 'I was completely in shock,' she says. 'This is the worst thing that could happen in the flying sector. But by God's grace, I was alive.' The crash led to a mandatory investigation by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). After three intense days of questioning, Bhavika was put on a cooling period – a mandatory break from flying that follows any aircraft accident. 'It was traumatising. I gradually lost confidence, hope, and courage to fly again,' she says. 'I started self-doubting and slowly faced depression. After two months, I decided to quit and pursue a BBA instead to join my family business.' Bhavika's near and dear ones, however, had other plans. 'My family and friends counselled me to help recover my self-belief. They helped me scrap my thoughts about ending my flying career,' she says. Five months after the accident, in December 2022, Bhavika received a no-objection certificate for corrective training, a period in which trainee pilots fly with instructors until they regain confidence to fly solo. In January 2023, Bhavika walked back into Carver Aviation – saw the same corridors, the same runway where her dreams had once crashed. 'My colleagues and staff at the academy, particularly my instructor Captain Madhav Raj Singh, instilled confidence back in me,' she says. The journey back was not easy. Every take-off brought back memories of that fateful day. In September 2023, Bhavika secured her official Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). 'Social media became helpful for me,' she reveals. 'After getting my CPL, candidates who faced similar crashes contacted me asking how to tackle negative thoughts. I was able to help them because I had been through the same experience.' 'My message to all those who feel dejected in their life would be to remain courageous and never lose hope. This will definitely help them achieve their dreams,' she says. Last year, Bhavika completed her type rating course, a specialised 45-day training programme on the Airbus 320 in Spain. Currently, she is preparing to join an aircraft carrier and has set her sights on an even bigger dream: flying an Airbus A380 someday. Shubham Kurale is an intern with The Indian Express.
Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Adv Asim Sarode opposes reusing assembly voter lists in local polls
Written by Shubham Kurale Advocates Asim Sarode and Shriya Awale have raised concerns about the state government's plan to reuse voter lists from last year's legislative assembly elections for the upcoming local body elections, calling the decision a continuation of 'corrupt electoral practices'. The concern was raised when the State Election Commission (SEC) requested to use the same voter lists that were employed during the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections. 'These lists have already been questioned in multiple court cases, with documentary evidence suggesting irregularities. Using the same voter lists would be repeating a corrupt experiment that relies on bogus voter information,' said Sarode. 'While the SEC handles the local body elections, they are required by law to use the final electoral roll prepared by the Central Election Commission. The scale of legal challenges to last year's state assembly election is unprecedented. Out of 288 assembly constituencies, around 100 seats have had their results challenged in the High Court through election petitions,' added Sarode. Moreover, a discrepancy in voter registration numbers was alleged during the press conference. 'The state had 9.73 crore registered voters in the 2024 legislative assembly elections, while the voter registration that followed was 9.80 crore. So if the old list is used, as many as 7 lakh new voters will be deprived of exercising their right to vote,' said Awale. The advocates alleged that the election officials were instructed to bypass the legally mandated procedures mentioned under the Voters Registration Rules of 1960 about adding or removing names from voter lists, compromising the transparency. 'Maintaining the same voter lists in the upcoming local body elections in which they were changed or prepared in such an opaque manner is a fraud on honest citizens in broad daylight. It would be a betrayal of the Constitution,' added Sarode. (The author is an intern at The Indian Express)
Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Indian Express
‘2 years seemed worthless in an instant': How a Pune drunk driver's reckless act destroyed a woman's MPSC preparation
Written by Shubham Kurale The evening of May 31 started like any other for Gulnaz Ahmed. After hours of intense preparation for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Group C exam, she stepped out for the routine tea break at Shree Nathsai Amrutulya stall in Pune's Sadashiv Peth. Little did she know that this ordinary moment would shatter two years of dreams in just a few seconds. As she was standing with her friend at around 5.45 pm, discussing current affairs after a day of rigorous preparation, a speeding car driven allegedly by an inebriated man without a driving license crashed into the tea stall, leaving 12 people, including four MPSC aspirants, injured. 'Even if it hurts, I will get back to my previous routine' For Ahmed, a 23-year-old from Nagpur, this wasn't just another accident but a traumatic fate to a carefully planned journey that began right after her graduation. Convincing her parents to let her move to Pune for MPSC preparation has been a battle in itself. 'My parents gave me a strict two-year deadline. I completed that period without attempting the exam once. The accident happened just one day before the Group C exam scheduled for June 1, which had already been postponed before. Two years of early morning study sessions, afternoon revision slots, and evening discussions about current affairs seemed worthless in an instant following the accident,' said Ahmed. The impact left Ahmed with a hip injury and muscle damage to her left leg. Initially taken to Yogesh Hospital in Sadashiv Peth, she had to be shifted to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital when basic diagnostic equipment wasn't available at the first facility. 'The doctors wanted to admit me, but I couldn't afford the expenditure of over Rs 10,000 per day, as there is already a financial strain during the preparation of the competitive exam. The pain was unbearable, but I returned home the same night,' said Ahmed. The medical bills, damaged phone, and medicines have created a financial burden of over Rs 30,000 for her family — her father runs a small scrap shop, and her mother is a homemaker. Despite promises from several politicians, no financial help has been given yet. Perhaps the most distressing aspect of Ahmed's ordeal was her inability to immediately tell her parents about the accident. 'I couldn't reveal this to my parents, as they would worry and call me back to Nagpur. It took me five days to build the courage to tell them,' she said. Despite being advised to complete bed rest for a month, Ahmed refuses to give up. 'One cannot be disconnected from studies for so long in the cut-throat competitive examination world. Even if it hurts, I will get back to my previous routine,' she said. Her request to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission is simple yet profound. 'It may be difficult for the Commission to retake the exam, but we urge them to consider this as a special case and allow a re-exam for those who have missed due to this incident,' she added. Ahmed's accident has also brought to light the challenges faced by thousands of students who flock to Pune for competitive exam preparation. 'Though Pune is considered the hub of competitive exams, the standard of living has been abysmally low. The food quality is poor, accommodation is expensive, and now even the roads have become unsafe,' said Ahmed. The accident didn't just affect students. Sandeep Khopade, a pharmaceutical marketing professional, was also among those enjoying a tea break with colleagues after a hectic day's work when the drunk driver changed his life forever. 'It was our refreshment time, we were planning over the marketing strategy, cracking jokes, and exchanging ideas over a tea when this accident happened that left my right leg fractured,' said Khopade. While insurance might cover the expenses of over Rs 2.5 lakh, the real worry for Khopade is his career. As the sole breadwinner of his family, Khopade faces the prospect of a four-month bed rest period that could jeopardise his job. 'My employer may not allow four months' leave, and can also replace me. The fracture will not make me able to move swiftly as I did before, which is necessary in a marketing job. So this accident has affected not just me, but my entire family'. 'We demand that the driver should not get bail, as was seen in the Porsche car accident case last year. As this will set a wrong precedent and encourage people to break rules and play with others' lives,' added Khopade. Shubham Kurale is an intern with The Indian Express
