Pothole hell: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Ahilyanagar highway sparks outrage

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

“Judges should sentence convicts to travel daily from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Ahilyanagar instead of hard labor,” reads a sarcastic social media post that perfectly captures the frustration of commuters battling the horrific road conditions.

What was once a four-hour journey has now stretched to six or seven hours. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar - Ahilyanagar highway has deteriorated so badly that citizens say it’s impossible to tell whether there’s a road full of potholes or potholes with bits of road left. Travelers leaving Sambhajinagar at dawn for Pune are reaching their destinations only by afternoon exhausted and furious. Social media is flooded with angry comments, videos, and memes exposing the crumbling highway. “Recently, I had the misfortune of driving on this death trap. It took me 4.5 hours one way. There’s barely any road left,” one user posted. Another said, “Make union Home Minister Amit Shah travel on this road then he’ll see where taxpayers’ money has gone.” Many have described the route as “a perfect example of corruption.” Videos showing deep craters, flooded stretches, and broken patches have gone viral on Instagram and X. Influencers have joined the outrage too sarcastically calling the highway “Heaven on Earth” and “a road to remember.” One user quipped, “If the British had stayed longer, they would’ve started an air service between Sambhajinagar and Ahilyanagar.” Citizens from across Maharashtra are demanding urgent repairs and accountability from local representatives and the Public Works Department. Until then, travelers continue to brave what they now call “the most dangerous highway in Maharashtra.”