Even earlier than the monsoon has formally arrived, heavy pre-monsoon showers have lashed Pune, as soon as once more exposing town’s lack of preparedness. Regardless of repeated flooding incidents in recent times, the Pune Municipal Company (PMC) has made minimal progress on vital flood prevention work at a number of longstanding waterlogging hotspots.
Within the first section of its flood mitigation efforts, the PMC recognized 31 weak places throughout town for intervention. (FILE)
Within the first section of its flood mitigation efforts, the PMC recognized 31 weak places throughout town for intervention. Nevertheless, solely three of those initiatives have been accomplished thus far, whereas work has not even began at 12 websites.
In Yerwada, the PMC has additionally been unable to start any work because of the ongoing building of the Yerwada Metro station on the identical web site.
Though Pune’s common annual rainfall is round 722 mm, local weather change and fast urbanisation have pushed this determine to almost 1,000 mm in recent times. In November 2015, intense rainfall brought about widespread flooding in areas akin to Dhanori, Vishrantwadi, Lohgaon, and Tingre Nagar, damaging houses and infrastructure. Related occasions have since been reported in different components of town, together with the Ambil Odha space.
Every year, the visitors police present the PMC with an up to date record of flood-prone zones, together with suggestions for preventive measures. The PMC additionally conducts its personal surveys to determine new areas needing consideration.
As a part of a nationwide initiative beneath the nationwide catastrophe administration plan (NDMP), Pune was chosen as certainly one of seven cities to obtain particular funding for catastrophe resilience. Underneath this program, town is about to obtain ₹250 crore over 5 years for long-term flood mitigation initiatives, together with the development of 28 stormwater drain strains and 5 massive culverts on the 31 recognized places.
The PMC had set a goal date of Could 30 to finish this work. But, since April 1, solely three initiatives—situated at Pari Firm in Narhe, Khadi Machine Chowk, and Kodre Bungalow on Mundhwa Street—have been completed. Work is ongoing at 16 different websites, however 12 stay untouched.
A senior official from the PMC’s drainage division admitted, “The central government had not released funds for the past three years but work under the NDMP has now finally begun. These are long-term measures meant to reduce flooding in 31 critical areas. Unfortunately, due to several issues, much of the work has yet to start.”
He added, “Work began in April, but now, with the onset of pre-monsoon showers and delays in obtaining permissions, completing the ongoing projects and starting new ones has become increasingly difficult.”
Vikas Gaikwad, a resident of Kalwad in Lohegaon, voiced his frustration: “Every year, our area floods during heavy rain. Roads turn into rivers, and we’re trapped indoors. We’ve complained so many times, but no permanent solution has come. We don’t know how many more years we’ll have to live like this.”