Pune: The civic body has finished around 50% of construction work on the new Sadhu Vaswani bridge in the Koregaon Park area, prolonging the wait for the project’s completion to at least another six months. At present, it is unlikely that the bridge will be ready for commuters before March 2026. Regular travellers to locations like Koregaon Park, Wadia College Chowk, Bundgarden, and around Council Hall have been facing daily hardships owing to traffic diversions introduced to assist the bridge work since 2024. Commuters said the detours increase travel time significantly, and the project should be finished at the earliest. Local commuter Ashish Gaikwad said a deadline is important to wrap up the work in progress. “People are already suffering a lot because of traffic restrictions. We want the administration to conduct repeated inspections of the work to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays,” he suggested While Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) initiated work on the new bridge last year, a large duration of time went in demolishing the old Sadhu Vaswani bridge. Civic officials claimed that the work is progressing at the expected pace now, and the target has been set to finish it either by March 2026 or a few days before that. Once ready, the bridge will expedite commuting in the area. Its four dedicated lanes for vehicles will double the capacity of the old bridge, which had two narrow lanes. The bridge will connect Koregaon Park to the VVIP Circuit House Road. At present, commuters go via the Mangaldas Road-Wadia College-Bundgarden Road stretch between these areas. A PMC official said, “The project is delicate and challenging as the bridge is coming up above rail tracks. Works are being carried out without disturbing rail operations. We are working in coordination with the railway administration.” Demolition of the old bridge above the railway tracks had also been conducted as a joint operation between civic and railway authorities. Now, PMC has once again approached Railways, seeking a go-ahead to lay a water pipeline crossing the rail tracks from below. Officials said this water supply line was laid above the tracks along the old bridge. It will not be possible with the new infrastructure, so a plan has been formulated to align it below the tracks. Tunnel work for the pipeline has already started.

Hyderabad, Telangana, 10th of September, 2025 : His Excellency Dr. Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Hyderabad for the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, convened a high-level diplomatic meeting with His Excellency Aliaksandr Matsukou, Consul General of Belarus in Mumbai, at his Xanadu residence in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. The discussions underscored a shared commitment to bolstering diplomatic goodwill, expanding cultural exchanges, and driving business collaboration, highlighting aviation connectivity and tourism promotion as key avenues to enhance cooperation between Kazakhstan, Belarus and India.

The intensive discussions brought together eminent dignitaries, including Rohit Shorey, Founder & Managing Director, Kazin DMC, Almaty; N.S.N. Mohan, Deputy Vice President, SKAL International; Alan Atamkulov, Country Head (India), Air Astana; Asish Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer, GMR Airport; Ananda Acharya, Head of Airline Marketing & Route Development, GMR Airport; and Valmiki Hari Kishan, Director, Valmiki Travel and Tourism Solutions, among others.

Following the formal meeting, a dynamic seminar spotlighting Travel and Tourism opportunities across Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, was hosted by Valmiki Events, Hyderabad, at Taj Vivanta. Kazin DMC, Air Astana, and Belavia Airlines showcased seamless connectivity and exciting emerging destinations, inspiring greater collaboration in regional tourism, during the session. Valmiki Hari Kishan was honoured with a special award by His Excellency Dr. Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan for his outstanding efforts in promoting Kazakhstan across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, on the occasion.

The event was graced by Chief Guests His Excellency Dr. Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan and His Excellency Aliaksandr Matsukou, who reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, expanding tourism exchanges, and fostering mutual cooperation among the participating nations. 

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