Pune: The Pune civic body on Thursday launched an anti-encroachment drive to shift the residents living along the banks of a water stream in the city, although it received stiff opposition from the locals.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) started the drive at amid a heavy police cover at the Ambil Odha, a water stream in Sinhagad Road area. However, the residents living along it alleged that no intimation was given to them before the drive.
"The action was initiated on Thursday morning without any prior notice. They should have given us a notice in advance and made alternative arrangements before directly coming and vacating the premises," said an angry resident.
Avinash Sakpal, PMC's zonal commissioner, said that in order to avoid any rain-related incident in the area, the civic body has taken a decision to undertake the work of straightening the nullah.
"The stream here is shaped like letter 's' and we need to straighten it so that any rain-related incident during the rainy season is avoided and since the work is important, residents living along the banks are being rehabilitated," he said.
He added that it has been three to four months that notices were issued to the local residents. A public notice about this drive was also published in a newspaper.
"There is no question of making all these people homeless as we are giving all 130 residents flats in nearby areas," Sakpal added.
Assistant municipal commissioner Ashish Mahadalkar said that during the rainy season in the last three years, water from the Ambil Odha would gush into the dwelling.
"To avoid any such incidents, we are taking the precautionary measures here," he said.
