Blasting at Pune's Chandni Chowk scares nearby residents

PUNE: Residents of La Valle Casa , a housing complex in Bavdhan along the Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass, claim that a solar panel on the terrace of one of their buildings has been damaged after being hit by stone from blasting activity going on for the Chandni Chowk flyover project.

The residents further alleged that many buildings at the location, especially rowhouses, have started developing surface cracks due to the blasting.

Santosh Deshmukh , chairman of the La Valle Casa society, told TOI, "On Friday, our housekeeping staff members, who had gone to clean the terrace, noticed the damaged solar energy apparatus. Along with the panel, its frame and connecting pipe were also damaged."

Deshmukh added that residents noticed two stones on the terrace - one weighed at least 2kg. "The terraces of all our buildings are locked. We regularly clean them to prevent any harm to residents, especially children and the elderly, who sometimes use the area to play or walk," he said, adding that they were certain the the stone was from the blasting going on at Chandni Chowk .

Refuting the same, Sanjay Kadam , the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) Pune project director, told TOI, "We take all precautions while carrying out any blasting at Chandni Chowk. All of it is controlled blasting and we use tin sheds to prevent the spread of rocks after the blast."

Kadam informed, "There is a commercial building at Chandni Chowk with a glass structure. None of it has been damaged till date. If residents of La Valle Casa claim damages caused due to a blast, we will carry out inspections and look into their grievances."

Another resident of La Valle Casa, Swapnali Kogje , added that blasts are carried out after midnight. "I stay on the ninth floor and after every blast, we feel vibrations like an earthquake," she said, adding that her 12-year-old daughter is unable to sleep properly due to this timing.

Bhanu Sinha , a resident of the same complex, said, "My flat does not face the highway. Despite this, the windowpanes and other items in my flat vibrate after a blast."

Sanjay Mande, a senior citizen from the society, said frequent blasts have led to surface cracks in the buildings and row houses. "The loud thuds and vibrations also affect our sleep at night," Mande said.

Another resident, Akshay Baijal, said residents are not against expansion being carried out at the Chandni Chowk. "However, NHAI should carry out controlled blasts to break rocks so that it does not create further damage to our society," he said.

Chairman Deshmukh also insisted that the officials concerned should carry out an assessment of damages to their building structure and compensate the society for it.

Sagar Mhasurkar , a resident of Zinnia Apartments, which is located along the bypass next to La Valle Casa, said, "While conducting blasts at midnight, the traffic on the bypass is stopped. Truck drivers, who do not know why they are halted, honk till flow resumes. This also disturbs our sleep."