Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The season’s first unseasonal rainfall on Sunday afternoon exposed serious flaws in the newly constructed Shivajinagar underpass, which was left completely submerged causing traffic disruption and public outrage.
The underpass, which connects Satara-Deolai to Jhalta and the old city, was flooded within minutes, with water levels rising high enough to submerge two-wheelers. Several commuters attempted to cross but got stranded as vehicles stalled mid-way.
What went wrong?
• Improper gradient design; outlets were constructed above road level, especially on the western side.
• Drainage outlet on the Shivajinagar end is undersized and poorly aligned.
• External outlet blocked due to thermocol debris and soil accumulation.
• Water was redirected to a nearby drain that is partially encroached by locals.
• Lack of coordination among the World Bank Project team, Railway Department, and Municipal Corporation.
Despite heavy traffic snarls on alternate routes like Shahnoormiyan Dargah flyover, no water-pumping efforts were undertaken. The underpass remained waterlogged until late night. Police later barricaded entry from Deolai Chowk to prevent mishaps.
Citizens Outraged
Locals, who once celebrated the launch of the underpass, now accuse authorities of negligence.
“Our repeated warnings were ignored. Now the public is paying the price,” said a local resident.
Railways Under Fire
The officials revealed that the Railway Department ignored multiple written requests from World Bank, Muncipal Corporation project engineers regarding outlet corrections. The outlet was built over a foot higher than road level, violating basic engineering norms. “The department’s oversight has put lakhs of commuters at risk. Until the error is rectified, citizens will continue to suffer,” an official stated. This incident has once again highlighted the glaring loopholes in the city’s urban infrastructure planning and inter-departmental coordination.