Pune: The PCB has initiated repairs on roads within its limits in recent days after receiving numerous complaints about potholes from residents.So far, around 70 potholes have been fixed on various key roads — including East Street, MG Road and Coyaji Road — officials said. They added that the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has also formed a squad to address road maintenance issues during the monsoon.A senior official from the engineering section of PCB told TOI, “Our 10-member squad will exclusively focus on repairs of potholes and other road repair works across civil and military zones in the cantonment. We will use machines and tarring if required on any stretch in our limit.”For the past two years, cantonment authorities have reportedly struggled to maintain road conditions due to poor financial resources. “PCB’s ability to carry out road repairs was limited. The board has been unable to resurface roads effectively for the last two years. Financial challenges have impacted overall civic infrastructure and services,” said activist Rajabhau Chavan from Camp. Residents noted that a decade ago, the condition of cantonment roads was better than those maintained by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). However, this perception has changed in recent years.According to PCB, the total road length in the cantonment limits is 75km, with 48km maintained by the board. The Military Engineering Services maintains a 22km network, and the state public works department (PWD) looks after 5km, covering 2,962 acres of the total PCB area. Apart from the civil population, thousands of military personnel, including officers, live in PCB limits.A senior retired officer from the MES, who served in the cantonment in the past, pointed out, “Some of the roads’ quality has deteriorated to a very low level as they develop potholes in every season. The cantonment authorities must look into these maintenance issues scientifically and carry out the necessary work. If required, they should dig the roads up and fill in the required materials.”Army officers serving at various defence establishments in the cantonment area are also disappointed with the poor road conditions.“Internal roads and the main road in Ghorpadi are filled with potholes. Meanwhile, the traffic volume on these streets is enormous,” said a senior army officer on condition of anonymity, adding, “Besides roads, the board also needs to prune tree branches on time. At several locations, branches loom over roads, blocking the view of motorists.”Others said the quality of repair work also needs to be monitored at regular intervals. Another army officer told TOI, “Often, materials filled into potholes is bad quality and spills onto the rest of the carriageway, creating problems for commuters. Board officials should focus on quality.”
