Pune: A routine Wednesday morning turned chaotic for nearly 450 residents of La Gloriosa, Silicon Bay and Nyati Enchante in Wadgaon Sheri after a private landowner dug up and barricaded a key access road overnight, leaving residents anxious.Private landowner Satish Mulik said the road passed through his farmland. He defended the decision, citing plans to develop the family’s property. “The land belongs to my family. It is private property and was being used for trespassing. An 80-foot-wide riverside road is already available and is being used by the residents. This is not a dispute with society members. It is about encroachment on private land. No one should give it a political colour,” Mulik told TOI on Wednesday.He also questioned the residents’ demand for continued access through his land, saying there was no justification for an emotional narrative since another road was already available for access to their societies.The affected residents, however, painted a starkly different picture. “This is the road we have used every single day for the last 15 years. Suddenly, at midnight, it was dug up and blocked. We woke up to find ourselves disconnected from our own homes,” a resident, who did not wish to be named, said.The sudden closure triggered chaos across the three societies. The residents said children missed school as buses and vans were unable to enter their housing societies, while working professionals were left stranded during peak morning hours. For many, the concern extended beyond inconvenience. “What happens during a medical emergency? What if an ambulance has to reach us or a patient needs to be rushed out? This is not a luxury road, it is our lifeline,” another resident said.The residents said the issue was not about challenging land ownership but about ensuring practical and safe access to their homes. They argued that authorities and residents should have been informed before the route was shut, allowing time to plan alternatives.As frustration mounted, residents launched a signature campaign demanding intervention from authorities concerned. Many said they purchased homes when the route was already in use and had built their daily lives around the access road.Seeking a resolution, the residents have approached civic authorities and elected representatives. Corporator Narayan Galande said the residents met him on Wednesday, following which the matter was raised with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). “We held a meeting with residents and discussed the issue with the PMC commissioner. Officials have been deputed to visit the site on Thursday morning,” Galande said.