Pune: Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol Questions PMC's Monsoon Preparedness After Fresh Waterlogging

Pune: Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol on Tuesday sharply questioned Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials over the city's recurring waterlogging and monsoon preparedness, asking how many waterlogging-prone locations had actually been resolved despite adequate funding from the Centre and the state government.

Reviewing the civic body's disaster management and monsoon preparedness, Mohol asked officials how many of the city's identified waterlogging spots had been eliminated over the past three years. Stressing that no location in Pune should continue to inconvenience citizens during heavy rainfall, he directed officials to take long-term measures instead of temporary fixes.

PMC officials informed the meeting that out of 120 identified waterlogging spots across the city, improvement works had been completed at 85 locations. Mohol, however, questioned the effectiveness of the work, asking how many of those 85 locations remained free of waterlogging during the recent spell of heavy rain.

Officials reportedly failed to provide concrete data on the performance of the completed works. Mohol instructed them to present photographic evidence from all 85 sites during the next review meeting to assess whether the measures had been successful.

The review meeting was convened after several parts of Pune witnessed severe waterlogging following heavy rainfall over the past week. It was attended by Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, Deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar, Standing Committee Chairman Shrinath Bhimale, Leader of the House Ganesh Bidkar, Leader of Opposition Nilesh Nikam, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, along with corporators and senior civic officials.

Highlighting changing rainfall patterns, Mohol said the city has been experiencing shorter but more intense spells of rain in recent years and asked officials what preparations had been made to deal with this emerging trend. He assured the administration that any additional machinery or resources required would be made available, but insisted that citizens should not suffer due to inadequate planning.

The Union Minister also directed the civic administration to operationalise the emergency control room on Sinhagad Road and strengthen flood monitoring by increasing the number of flood sensors along river stretches. He instructed ward officers to ensure essential facilities and prompt assistance are available to residents at the local level during emergencies.

Mohol further asked officials to remain prepared for the rapid repair of potholes, noting that intense rainfall over short periods increases the likelihood of road damage. He also suggested that PMC introduce a dedicated WhatsApp number through which citizens can report potholes for immediate action.