Pune: Disappearance Of Steel From Sadhu Vaswani Bridge Sparks Citizen Outrage Over Missing Scrap Revenue
Pune: Disappearance Of Steel From Sadhu Vaswani Bridge Sparks Citizen Outrage Over Missing Scrap Revenue
Pune’s 50-year-old Sadhu Vaswani Bridge near Koregaon Park was demolished to make way for a ₹83 crore four-lane replacement. While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) justified the demolition based on a 2018 CoEP audit labeling it “unsafe,” concerns have arisen over the disappearance of valuable steel scrap worth an estimated ₹1 crore.
A video shared by ChaloPMCPuneSamvad, an active group of residents concerned over Pune’s development on its social media platforms have raised serious concerns over the missing scrap material leading to major loss of the city’s civic body.
#Pune: Disappearance Of Steel From #SadhuVaswaniBridge Sparks Citizen Outrage Over Missing Scrap Revenue https://t.co/wQ9nsAFmQf pic.twitter.com/sN3RPoXZmN
— Pune Pulse (@pulse_pune) February 24, 2025
Residents reported witnessing workers loading steel into private trucks, with no official records of the scrap sale. When questioned, laborers admitted they were working for scrap vendors. This incident raises broader concerns about the lack of transparency in PMC’s handling of public asset demolitions, with citizens demanding accountability.
Despite the bridge containing approximately 250 metric tons of steel—valued at ₹40,000 per ton—PMC’s accounts show no revenue from the demolition. Similar cases, such as the Swargate Bus Stop demolition for Metro work, suggest that Pune’s missing scrap revenue could total over ₹500 crore.
Critics highlight the need for stricter oversight, pointing to global best practices like public auctions in London, blockchain tracking in Singapore, and GPS-tagged scrap trucks in Mumbai. Citizens argue that implementing such measures could prevent further mismanagement and ensure public funds are used effectively.
