With only 127 days left for the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) to be held in the city in October, Congress MP, Suresh Kalmadi on Saturday directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to complete all work by August beginning.

Work completed on the CYG route:

• Baner subway: 50 per cent
  
• Gunjan Theatre - Airport: 90 per cent
  
• Ganeshkhind Road: 70 per cent
  
• University chowk-Hotel Green Park: 95 per cent
  
• The remaining work: 50 per cent

However, both the deadlines seem difficult to meet as the work will be adversely affected during the monsoon season that lasts between 60 days and 90 days each year and it is no secret that some of the work cannot be executed while the rainy season is on.

"It is true that he (Kalmadi) wants all the work to be completed by August, but we explained to him the problems that we have been facing at some places, especially in Baner and Balewadi. Hence, we will only be able to complete all the work by September 15," said Pardeshi.

Pardeshi added, "But there are some projects that we are actually working on at a rapid pace. For example, it takes a minimum two years to build an underpass, however, we are completing the underpass in a record time of six months."

The inspection started in the morning at the subway on the Mumbai-Bangalore highway in Baner and wound up near the Lohegaon airport.

Vinay Deshpande, head of PMC's JNNURM cell (Roads) too reiterated that September 15 was a more realistic deadline. "We are confident that we would be able to complete all the construction and development activities on this route by October," he said.

When contacted late in the evening, Kalmadi said he was okay with the September deadline. "Most of the work for the CYG would be complete by August. Therefore, I am okay with the road work deadline being extended up to September," he said.