Troubled with bad roads, blocked footpaths, and lack of safety, Bavdhan residents took to the streets on Sunday morning, April 27, 2025, for a Silent Protest March.
Baramati MP Supriya Sule also joined the silent march with residents.
The march, which started at Bavdhan Market Yard and ended at Axis Bank, was organized to demand better walkability, improved safety, and accountability from local authorities to address the deteriorating conditions in the area.
Sule, who participated in the march organized by the Bavdhan Citizen Forum to address the pressing issues faced by the residents of Bavdhan, Pune, which falls under her constituency, highlighted the severe challenges the residents face, including bad roads, uneven footpaths, and daily traffic jams. She emphasized that despite repeated letters to the state government, PMRDA, and municipal administration, no concrete action had been taken.
Several NCP leaders attend march
She expressed her concern over the need for citizens to mobilize and protest for their fundamental rights, which should not have been necessary in the first place. Sule urged the government and the administration to heed public sentiment and take immediate action to resolve these long-standing problems.
On this occasion, several prominent figures from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) were present, including Pune District Executive President Mahadev Kondhare, former District Council President Savita Dagde, and other local leaders such as Kunal Pokle, Dagdukaka Karanjawane, Suhas Dagde, Abhijeet Dagde, Sameer Buchde, and members of the Bavdhan Citizen Forum.
Residents speak up
Vinay Patki, a resident of Bavdhan, said, "There are two lanes merging into one in Bavdhan, and school buses and other vehicles come from the wrong side as they can't turn in the smaller space between dividers. We have been raising this complaint for ages, and nothing has been done so far."
"This protest by BCF is for Basics First, as Bavdhan has remained ignored on the administrative front. Under Basics First, we, and personally myself, would like to have wide roads with proper footpaths for pedestrians and no encroachments. In our Lane-8 (Ganga Legend and DSK Ranwara road in Bavdhan Khurd), it has remained underdeveloped, and authorities haven't given any priority to road development and widening proportional to the population and traffic going through our Lane-8. The road starts as a two-lane road and surprisingly becomes a single lane due to an unsettled acquisition of private land. Due to small lanes and smaller gaps in the divider, all big vehicles like trucks, public and private transport buses, and mainly school buses need to come via the wrong side. This is a critical juncture, and any mishap can happen if the brakes of any vehicle fail on the slopy road. This has been the situation for the last 7–8 years, and there is no seriousness from the authorities to resolve the matter," said Vinay Patki.
Manish Deo, a resident of Bavdhan, said, "We staged the protest demanding basics first, like electricity, good roads, water, encroachment-free roads, and traffic conditions. There is a deadly slope near Rayan Public School in Bavdhan Budruk, which has become a hotspot for accidents. Ladies and kids are regular victims of accidents due to slippery roads and sloppiness. We urge the authorities of PMC and PMRDA to take corrective measures and widen the road near Nisan showroom corner to avoid any further mishaps. Bavdhan Budruk and Khurd come under the Baramati constituency, and MP Supriya Sule also walked with us and was there to hear our issues."
'Ram Nadi has become Ram Nala'
Swati Pisal, another resident who participated in the march, said,
"I have lived here for seven years, and after living here for one year, I realised that this place doesn't have basic infrastructure. We approached the administration, and everybody is playing ping pong with us. We don't have proper roads. There are 182 societies in Bavdhan, and around 1,000 residents are suffering because of the unavailability of basic amenities. We get water only for 40 minutes in the morning, and today I have no water at my home because I was out protesting and couldn't store the water. We don't get water in the evening. We are living in a smart city, in Pune, and we don't have roads, no water, no footpaths. I'm paying heavy taxes and still getting nothing. We don't have an ATM, post office, and the Ram Nadi has become Ram Nala. What can we expect? I have 25 letters from 25 societies. It's a mockery of the system. The authorities have assured us that they will chair a meeting with the authorities, and I would also be one of the members attending that meeting. I'm hoping to get some basic amenities here in Bavdhan."
Bharat Chormale, resident of Bavdhan, said,
"Basic amenities in Bavdhan are missing, so regarding that, we insisted on a march of approx. 3 km. Around 300–400 people were also present. We raised slogans to wake the authorities from deep slumber. People from 20–30 societies came forward, and we from Bavdhan Citizen Forum have always picked up these issues, but we never get the response. We have been following up with the authorities, and we hope we get some basic amenities here as well."
