Pune civic body neglect makes footpath unusable

Effective footpaths between Bremen Circle and Ambedkar Chowk, on the busy Spicer College Road, have become unusable because the Pune Municipal Corporation has not trimmed trees, bushes and plants of the botanical garden on this stretch.

Pedestrians, therefore, have been forced to walk on the road on the cycle track, next to fast-moving traffic.

The overgrown trees have made the footpaths particularly unusable on a 150-metre stretch along the length of the botanical garden in Aundh.

When the Aundh ward officer, Jayant Bhosekar, was questioned about the plants he said, "Anything related to cutting or trimming of trees is handled by our garden department. I will surely get in touch with them right away."

PMC garden superintendent, Umesh Mali told DNA, "We will do the work within a week's time, as we have a staff scarcity. This being a botanical garden, we will put our force to clear the footpath."

Pedestrian Vijaya Golande, a homemaker, complained about the bushes while walking on the road. "The road has fast moving traffic as it is wide, so it is very risky for pedestrians," she said. A school student, G Arnav, who uses the stretch regularly, was also upset about the unusable footpaths.