India, Sept. 21 -- Severe traffic congestion, crumbling infrastructure, and civic apathy have turned Mammadevi Chowk and the surrounding areas in the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) into daily nightmares for commuters. Once a quieter part of the military cantonment, the area is now a critical traffic chokepoint, worsened by monsoon rains and a financial crisis within the PCB.

Each day, from as early as 6 a.m. and again during evening peak hours, traffic crawls along key stretches, especially at Mammadevi Chowk, a major intersection connecting several arterial roads. Recent rains have created large potholes, and with no traffic police or maintenance work in sight, jams often stretch for hours.

Roads affected include Phayre Road, Napier Road,...