The residents living near Pune's Dhankawadi along the Ambil Odha stream are a disappointed lot due to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) lukewarm response to their frequent appeals to remove the silt and dirt from the stream, due to the increased risk of flooding in the area, as the locals fear.
On the other hand, civic officials claim that they have cleaned the water body and there is nothing to worry about.
Despite numerous appeals, the society members allege that pre-monsoon cleaning work has not been done, heightening the flood risk. They demand urgent action to clear the clogged waterway and prevent further damage to their homes and communities.
Nitin Kadam, a member of NCP-SP, said, "We have been alerting and raising the issue with PMC officials, but they just simply visit and leave. No prompt action is taken. The recent rains brought in a lot of the nullah water. The debris in the stream is not cleaned, which will lead to floods eventually if the rain continues. The stream starts from the Katraj Lake up till Vaikunth Smashanbhumi. The stream covers a distance of approximately 12 km. We have now written to the Chief Minister to get a solution for the residents who are living in this area."
The total population living around the Ambil Odha stream and nearby locality is approximately three lakh. The area was adversely affected during the September 2019 floods.
The residents living in the area have written a letter to the CM, highlighting the government's continued failure to implement promised flood prevention measures even six years after the devastating floods.
The letter highlights that despite repeated demands, the state has not released the Rs 200 crore budget sanctioned for these preventive measures. Projects such as thorough desilting of nullahs, construction of retaining walls, elevation of culverts, and removal of encroachments remain incomplete. With climate change intensifying rainfall patterns and increasing the risk of flooding, the residents fear a repeat of the 2019 disaster. They urged the government to look into the matter.
A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Pune Municipal Commissioner and Pune District Collector, demanding immediate and accountable action.
Jagdish Khanore, head of the drainage department at PMC, said, "We have completed the work of Ambil Odha, and residents need not worry about the floods because it won't happen. At the uphill, we have Katraj Lake and another is Peshwa Pond — both of them are empty, and the rainwater will get stored there. Even in the case of a flash flood, those two have the capacity to hold the water, and the water will not flow downward, so there will be no shock loading."
"Secondly, we had floated the tenders for the construction of retaining walls near the stream. Rs 200 crore was sanctioned by the state for that, but we did not receive a single penny, so we had to withdraw the tenders. We have communicated this to the upper heads, and we will start the work as soon as we get the money. Thirdly, we have completed the widening of the stream by removing the encroachments, and now the stream is widened. Henceforth, we have zeroed the possibility of floods in that area or even the nearby localities," he added.
