Phursungi residents remove encroachments voluntarily

House owners say government's demolition drive causes extensive damage to property

- Dheeraj Bengrut

PUNE: In a rare show of cooperation, residents of Phursungi have begun demolishing parts of their own properties to facilitate the long-delayed road widening project on the Alandi-Pandharpur Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi Route (NH-965).

With work finally underway, many locals have opted to remove encroachments themselves rather than have government machinery do it, fearing extensive damage to their structures.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), along with other agencies, is overseeing the expansion of the stretch between Dive Ghat and Phursungi. The four-lane widening project had been stuck for over a decade, particularly on the Hadapsar-Saswad route, where the Tukaidarshan-Phursungi to Dive Ghat section has witnessed hundreds of accidents, severe congestion, and frustration among commuters.