3 min readPuneMar 23, 2026 08:17 PM ISTSiddhi Jaiswal, an intern at an IT company in the Amanora township near Magarpatta, said that her usual route from Kharadi to her office took triple the time. (File image)Hundreds of residents, workers, and office employees in and around the Magarpatta Township were inconvenienced on Monday morning as a breach in the retaining wall of the Khadakwasla canal caused water logging on major roads in and around the IT hub. PMC officials said that they stopped releasing water from the dam which subsided the flooding, and water from the township started to clear out post 12 pm.Sangona Chavan, a domestic cleaner who works in Magarpatta told The Indian Express, “I came around 9 am in the morning. In many areas the water level was till the thigh, and people were waddling through the water to reach their destinations. Now by 1 pm it has all dried up.”A security guard working in Magarpatta said, “We arrived at 7 and the water was completely logged at that point. We were just trying to manage the traffic. Many scooters and autos shut down on the roads because of the water. The water level has come down after 12 pm or 1 pm.”Prajak Chaudhary, an IT employee working in Magarpatta and resides near his office, said, “I left for my office at 11:30 on my activa. It takes around 5 minutes for me usually but today it took 15-20 minutes. The water was till my shins. Initially I removed my shoes and kept them in front of the footrest of the scooter. But even that didn’t help as the water level was too high and it reached there as well.”Siddhi Jaiswal, an intern at an IT company in the Amanora township near Magarpatta, said that her usual route from Kharadi to her office took triple the time. “I usually reach in 15-25 minutes on my scooter, but the route was blocked today and I had to take a detour from Keshav Nagar. It took me an hour and a half to reach.”Rhea Tarneja, an IT professional residing in Magarpatta, said, “I went out to walk my dog in the morning and there was a complete traffic jam due to the water logging. There are three main exits out of Magarpatta and two were completely blocked. The water was flowing till around 8-9 pm but it relaxed a bit by 12. The roads were completely filled with water and even the footpaths. I had to walk on the sides of the footpath and even then cars were splashing water on us.”Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... 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