23 August,2026 09:50 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde inspects Pune`s Chakan roads, reviews measures to ease traffic woes. Pic/ Eknath Shinde`s Office
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday announced a series of immediate and long-term measures to address infrastructure deficiencies and traffic congestion in the Chakan-Talegaon industrial belt, while assuring industrialists that the government would work to prevent industries from relocating.
Shinde announced during his visit to Chakan and Talegaon, where he inspected ongoing road repair works and held a meeting with representatives of industrialists and various government departments.
Industries Minister Uday Samant, Legislative Council member Dr Neelam Gorhe, MLAs Sharad Sonawane and Babaji Kale, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Police Commissioner Vinaykumar Choubey, representatives of industrial associations and senior officials were present.
During his visit, Shinde inspected several traffic congestion-prone stretches in the Chakan industrial area and reviewed road repair works.
He inspected the use of M-60 hardener for filling potholes and directly cast patches being installed on rain-damaged roads.
According to officials, the technology is expected to reduce repair time and allow heavy vehicles to resume movement soon after the work is completed.
The Chakan-Shikrapur route has been particularly affected by potholes, causing traffic congestion and disrupting the movement of goods and workers in the industrial belt.
With conventional asphalt repairs often failing during the monsoon, authorities are using Geo Polymer Techno Patch and M-6 RMC with hardener for pothole repairs.
The geo-polymer mixture reportedly sets within 30 to 45 minutes, allowing traffic to resume shortly after repairs. Pre-cast panels are also being transported by trailers and installed directly at severely damaged locations.
A special nodal committee headed by the District Collector has been formed to address the industrial area's infrastructure problems on a long-term basis.
The committee will meet every Friday and focus on roads, drainage, footpaths and streetlights. Shinde also directed authorities to expedite repairs to the 54-km Talegaon-Shikrapur road, the Nashik Phata-Rajgurunagar road and internal roads in the industrial belt.
He further directed that future road projects incorporate footpaths, utility infrastructure and cycle tracks.
To reduce commuting time for workers, Shinde said the government would consider developing worker townships within industrial clusters.
He also directed MahaMetro to prepare a development plan for proposed metro corridors connecting Nigdi-Chakan, Chakan-Rajgurunagar and Talegaon-Shikrapur.
To ensure faster resolution of industrialists' grievances, MIDC executive engineers and other officials will remain physically available in the industrial area one day every week.
Industrialists were also urged to use the 'Maitri' app to register their complaints and track their concerns.
The meeting also discussed increasing electricity transformer capacity, planning load shedding, appointing an independent agency for waste disposal and resolving water supply and police-related issues on priority.
The government said the measures are aimed at improving infrastructure, easing traffic and creating a more conducive environment for businesses in the Chakan-Talegaon industrial belt. Industrial representatives also indicated that the steps taken by the government had addressed their concerns and prompted them to reconsider plans to relocate their industries outside the region.
