Pune: PMC Dismantles Traffic Circle At SM Ghule Chowk In Mohamadwadi After Residents’ Protest

Renuka Suryavanshi 

Pune, 13 August 2025 – The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is facing mounting criticism after constructing an oversized traffic circle at SM Ghule Chowk in the Mohammadwadi–NIBM Annexe area without clearance from Pune Traffic Police or consultation with residents. The structure, which locals say violated Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards, was removed less than 24 hours after public outcry and a detailed report brought the issue to light.

Citizens Push Back Against ‘Blatant Law Violation’

The controversy began when residents noticed the sudden installation of a 10.5-metre-radius traffic circle at one of the area’s busiest junctions. The spot already handles a heavy flow of buses, tankers, cement mixers, and school vehicles, and has been prone to minor accidents. Locals feared the new design would make navigation even more hazardous.

"🙌 VICTORY FOR CITIZENS! 🙌 PMC finally removed the gigantic circle at SM Ghule Chowk after it was exposed that it was installed WITHOUT TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT PERMISSION! 🚨 Kudos to Jaymala Dhankikar madam for raising her voice & protesting! 👏 #CitizenPower @navalMH @CPPuneCity pic.twitter.com/RXZhE4Wv1J

— Jaymala Dhankikar (@JDhankikar) August 13, 2025

A group of residents — including Raj Singh, Jaymala Dhankikar, Ashok Mehendale, Sanghamitra Jedhe, Kunal Rodrigues, Ayesha Patel, Ramesh Patil, Minoo Parsi, Anand Walse, and Amit Deohar — lodged formal complaints with PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, DGP Rashmi Shukla, and DCP (Traffic) Himmat Jadhav. Their demands: dismantle the circle, investigate the violation, and hold officials accountable.

“This was not a small oversight — it was a deliberate act that ignored both the law and public safety,” said Raj Singh of Raheja Premier. “If government bodies themselves bypass the Constitution, it’s the beginning of lawlessness.”

"🚧🚨 TRAFFIC TIME BOMB! 🚨🚧 SM Ghule Chowk Circle's massive size will inevitably lead to jams in NIBM Annexe & Mohammadwadi! 🤯 Indian Road Congress guidelines IGNORED! 🚫 No citizen consultation = Undemocratic decision-making! 👎 #UndemocraticGovernance"@navalMH @CPPuneCity pic.twitter.com/HyOhx0YOel

— Jaymala Dhankikar (@JDhankikar) August 12, 2025

Following the pressure, PMC officials, IRC consultants, and traffic police inspected the site and confirmed the circle had been built without required permissions.

PMC Says 

An official stated that the traffic circle was built to identify the movement of the vehicles so that a permanent structure could have been built. But it just got bigger which drew criticism from the residents as the road shortened near Archana Kohinoor Glory. Now, after consulting the residents the traffic circle is reduced and we shall observe for a week in consultation with the Kondhwa traffic police and then create a permanent traffic circle after a few days. 

Safety Concerns Ignored

Residents described the structure as dangerous and poorly designed.
“The circle was so large that school buses struggled to turn, and heavy vehicles swerved into other lanes. It was an accident waiting to happen,” said activist Jaymala Dhankikar.

She alleged PMC acted without traffic clearance, safety audits, or community input — calling it “criminal negligence.” She has also sought police protection after facing resistance from those unhappy with her activism.

Ashok Mehendale, former PMC Education Board member, added: “This wasn’t development — it was reckless endangerment. We want safe, expert-approved designs, not experiments that put lives at risk.”

Residents’ Key Demands

The group has outlined several measures to prevent similar incidents:

• A new traffic island compliant with IRC standards
• Mandatory coordination between PMC, traffic police, and road safety experts
• Traffic signals and safety lighting at the junction
• 24×7 CCTV surveillance to deter crime and illegal activities
• Removal of unauthorized stalls and festival structures from the public roadway

Dhankikar noted that the area has also become a hotspot for illegal racing, drug abuse, and late-night hooliganism. “Public spaces are being occupied without permission. We need monitoring and law enforcement, not indifference.”

A Larger Problem of Governance

The incident has highlighted broader issues with PMC’s approach to infrastructure. For over two years, work to convert the stretch from Sainik Vihar to Lavanya Restaurant into a 24-metre cement concrete road has remained incomplete. Though the project deadline was April 2025, only about 75% of the work is finished, and footpaths, connectors, and lighting remain pending.

“This isn’t just about one circle,” said Dhankikar. “It’s about restoring the rule of law in city planning. Transparency and accountability must return to Pune’s roads.”

Residents say they will pursue legal action if the administration fails to address their concerns — a move they hope will send a message that civic bodies cannot bypass regulations at the expense of public safety.