Pune: Varandha Ghat Remains Closed Every Year Despite Repairs, Citizens Raise Questions

Citizens have raised serious concerns that even after spending so much amount on various works on the Bhor-Mahad road in the last five-six years, Varandha Ghat closed every year during the monsoon. Varandha Ghat, is prone to landslides during rainy days and to avoid any kind of fatally authorities have taken this decision. However tourists, travelers, citizens and traders are saying that this situation is arising due to the lack of proper planning by the administration. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister, has declared the Bhor-Mahad road a National Highway. Before this designation, the Public Works Department invested a significant amount of money over the past four years to combat land erosion in the Varandha Ghat region, which spans the Bhor and Mahad talukas. According to reports from the National Highways Authority and the Public Works Department, repair work in Mahad is almost finished, and new road construction is currently underway in Bhor. In a written letter dated June 16, the District Collector Pune has issued an order banning heavy vehicle traffic on this route till September 30, 2025. Also, light vehicles have been allowed to travel on this route only if there is no red or orange alert from the Indian Meteorological Department during this period.

Varandha Ghat is a landslide-prone area, but actual road closures due to landslides or erosion are infrequent. Despite this, the administration annually deems the ghat unsuitable for traffic during the monsoon season and closes it for three months, a practice that has persisted for the past five to six years. Citizens are questioning the actions of the National Highways Authority and the administration, alleging inaction and bureaucratic delays instead of concrete measures to address the issue. This is further fueled by the fact that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved a substantial fund (approximately 723 crores) for the Shindewadi-Bhor to Mahad Bhor road, which includes Varandha Ghat. The public wonders why the ghat is still closed every year despite this significant investment intended to improve road conditions and facilitate travel. Concerns are raised that the funds may not be effectively used to keep the ghat open, as there is no visible road widening work underway in the area.

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Unnecessary trouble

New work is going on from Deoghar to Warwand in Bhor taluka. However, the administration is raising doubts that how will the people be mentally disturbed and how will Pune via Mahabaleshwar or Pune via Tamhini mean that people will only be unnecessarily disturbed and financially devastated.

Question of livelihood

Due to the closure of the Bhor-Mahad road, vehicles transporting vegetables and goods are closed, tourists are not coming, commercial vehicles are not going. Therefore, the hoteliers, who are the livelihood of the people on the road, are facing a lot of problems due to lack of business, said Prakash Pawar, a hotelier from Ubarde. The citizens of Bhor and Konkan are facing a lot of pain and financial hardship due to the closure of the Varandha Ghat every year during the monsoon season without any concrete measures being taken by the administration. The government as well as the concerned National Highways and Construction Department should give a written explanation on this. - Sachin Deshmukh, Social Activist.