Pune: Fed Up With PMRDA Inaction, Residents To Stage 'Ramnadi Satyagraha' In Sewage-Filled River On Nov 28

A citizens’ protest titled ‘Ramnadi Satyagraha’ against PMRDA is scheduled on Friday, November 28, which will take place inside Ramnadi, at the exact point where an estimated 70% of the river’s sewage is currently being discharged. This location has been flagged to authorities multiple times, yet no substantial action has followed. 

Despite repeated complaints, on-site inspections, and clear directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Divisional Commissioner, the PMRDA has failed to stop the continuous flow of untreated sewage into the river. This inaction has pushed Ramnadi into a critical state, leaving citizens with no option but peaceful civil resistance. 

Advocate Krunnal Gharre, who is leading the agitation, said he has always worked transparently and honestly for the restoration of Ramnadi, but bureaucratic apathy has stalled progress. “Many authorities are playing bureaucratic games and offering false hope. I have followed every legal and administrative process, but now the fight must move to the streets. A spot that discharges 70–80% of the river’s sewage needs just a 30-metre connection, and PMRDA still won’t act.” 

“The Pashan STP is delayed by 15 months. This is unacceptable. We have built a large support from citizens of Bavdhan Bhugaon and across areas along which the Ramnadi flows. We will stand in the sewage-filled river, and the authorities alone are responsible for citizens taking this step,” Gharre added. 

The key demands of the residents are that PMRDA must immediately complete the mandated work and comply with NGT and Divisional Commissioner orders. The Pashan STP must be made operational without delay.