Women take charge, open long-delayed Shivajinagar Underpass

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Frustrated by months of inaction, women from Shivajinagar and Deolai took an unconventional step performing rituals to ‘inaugurate’ the long-delayed underpass on Monday. Breaking coconuts and offering prayers, they symbolically opened the route that had been left inaccessible due to official delays.

Led by Adv. Vaishali Kadu, Megha Thorat, Hema Patil, Anita Kumawat, and Shobha Kalange, members of the Satara Deolai Mahila Janseva Samiti and Jijau Brigade gathered at the underpass, demanding immediate access. Their message was clear: if authorities wouldn’t act, citizens would.

A daily struggle

For months, residents had been forced to take dangerous detours to reach schools, offices, and essential destinations.

Community support and action

A large number of women joined the event, voicing their frustration over bureaucratic neglect. Participants included Manisha Wadekar, Suchita Kulkarni, Jayashree Fund, Sharda Tangade, Sangita Kalam and many others.

Limited access, but a step forward

Following the symbolic opening, the underpass is now accessible to pedestrians, two-wheelers, and light vehicles. However, authorities have installed iron barriers to prevent heavy vehicles from using the passage. Whether this act of citizen-led initiative will push officials to take further action remains to be seen.

(WITH PHOTO)