By5-km stretch sees serious, sometimes fatal, accidents frequently. Locals have tried reaching out to authorities, but in vain.Once a bare, lonely area, Balewadi-Mahalunge is now a much soughtafter locale with booming development, made all the more desirable by its proximity to Baner. Unfortunately, even as upscale housing societies have made their appearance seemingly overnight, basic amenities such as well-made roads are far from complete. One such stretch on the Balewadi-Nanded road is so steeped in potholes that accidents, including fatal ones, are a daily occurrence.On May 16, 40-year-old Anjana Santosh Ambavale was riding pillion on her husband’s motorbike when her husband Santosh lost control of the vehicle as it hit a deep ditch on this road. Both of them fell off the bike and Anjana succumbed to a serious head injury on the spot.This is just one example of the horrifying condition of this 5-km stretch, which, according to residents, has only been deteriorating over the last five years.Right from its point of inception, till where it connects to Nanded, the road has potholes deep enough to be called craters. The monsoons are especially tough for commuters as the potholes disappear under water, making them even more dangerous.Residents have wearied of trying to reach out to officials — everyone from the Public Works Department (PWD) to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and even the chief minister’s office has been approached, but in vain.Citizens have even filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act against three companies that own five cement manufacturing units on this route. Residents of Kul Echoloch society claimed that none of these plants have been set up legally and that the incessant movement of cement-laden trucks, mixers, and multi-axle vehicles only make the road worse. Mirror is in possession of government records that state that these units are indeed illegal.“I have been living here for the last three years. Now my condition is such that I am suffering from spine-related issues in my 30s. My doctor has warned me not to ride twowheelers anymore,” mourned Yogesh Rajwanshi (36), a resident of Kul Echoloch housing society.Pregnant women are especially at risk. Resident Ajay Shukla (45) said that many expectant mothers, despite having homes on this stretch, rented houses elsewhere simply because the road poses too much of a threat.Similarly, Shipra Srivastava (33), a schoolteacher has already suffered two injuries as she fell twice while riding her two-wheeler. “I bring my child home from school every day, praying that I reach home safely,” a tired Srivastava said.And, it’s not just head injuries and broken bones. Sangeeta Namdev (33) said that her five-year-old child started showing asthmalike symptoms due to the dust emitted by heavy vehicles. “There is dust at all hours of the day because the road is in such bad condition,” complained Namdev.Even pedestrians are not spared, as 41-yearold Suresh Rathore found out. He recently underwent surgery for a fractured shoulder after falling on the road while on foot.The condition of the road can also be gauged by the fact that there is no public transport here. No app-based cabs or auto-rickshaws ply here for fear their vehicle will break down. If locals book cabs through apps, the requests are cancelled instantly.Even more worrying is the fact that ambulances cannot get here either.“We recently had a medical emergency in our society and dialled for an ambulance. But, they said they wouldn’t be able to reach on time because of the road. They even suggested that we bring the patient to the hospital in a car as that would be faster,” said Abhishek Singh, another resident.He added that after 6.30 pm every day, the road is almost completely dark, as there are barely any streetlights.Pleas and complaints to the authorities have yielded no results. Nitish Sharma, another resident, said, “We have approached everyone — the PMRDA, PWD, local leaders, other civic bodies, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — but our plea went unheard. We also wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office, but nothing has been done yet.”He added that last year, guardian minister Girish Bapat had visited the area and had promised swift respite. “He even reprimanded some officials in our presence, but even that didn’t work,” Sharma complained.Meanwhile, when Mirror contacted the authorities, there were the usual vague responses and quick passing of blame. Though the road falls under the PMRDA, its chief executive officer, Kiran Gitte, pointed to the Zilla Parishad (ZP) as responsible. “This road falls in the ambit of the Zilla Parishad and I will speak to them about it,” Gitte told Mirror.When asked, Suraj Mandhare, CEO of the ZP said, “I will verify whether or not this indeed falls under our jurisdiction. If so, we will carry out repairs on priority.”

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