According to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) data, the city has a total of 234 drains and 662 culverts, out of which 116 culverts have been cleared by the civic body. The length of the drains is 362 km, of which a 200 km stretch has been cleared. Out of this, 88 km is a high-priority stretch that needs regular cleaning and is prone to creating a waterlogging situation, and the civic body claims to have completed the cleaning in the high-priority stretches.
PMC is also installing iron nets on the cover of the monsoon channels. The cement cover will be replaced with maximum iron nets so that rainwater can pass through it without choking these drain lines. The city’s stormwater drainage network has been constructed to carry a volume of 56 mm of rainwater, while nullah designing and channelisation can accommodate 73.70 mm of rainfall. To carry a volume of 99.1 mm of rainwater, the city needs 1,028 km of stormwater drains, 365 km of nullahs, and 662 culverts.
PMC Commissioner Dr Rajendra Bhosale has claimed that 98 per cent of the monsoon works in the old city limits have been completed. However, civic activists and residents have voiced their concern that waterlogged roads lead to flooding and traffic jams. They claim that if the work on desilting stormwater drain sections, nullah channelisation, and other flood-related works is completed, then why is so much water getting accumulated?
Chandan, a resident of Shivajinagar, said, “Due to rains, the road looks like a river, and motorists are in trouble. Also, citizens are suffering due to water accumulation in many areas. At present, the city is being battered by torrential rains. We are concerned and are reaching out to PMC requesting to clean the monsoon line properly. Meanwhile, as the water is accumulating in many parts of the city, garbage is being collected at the cover of the monsoon channels, which is obstructing the flow of rainwater in some areas. Residents staying in low-lying areas have to face a lot of issues during the monsoon.”
“Areas which often face flooding are Patil Estate slum area, Kamgar Putala slum, Phulenagar slum, Pulachiwadi slum, Khilare Patilnagar slum, Ambil Odha slum, the riverside area near Shivane, Katraj Lake area, old bridge near Aundh, slum area near Harris bridge in Bopodi, and the riverside area on Sinhagad road where waters enter houses after heavy rains,” added the resident.
The onset of the monsoon will take a few more days. The weather department has predicted that this year more rains are expected despite that PMC pre-monsoon preparedness is not up to the mark according to the activists.
Gojare Dinkar Bhau, Superintending Engineer, Sewerage, Maintenance, and Repair Department, PMC said, “Pre-monsoon preparedness work is going on, and we are actively cleaning all the drainage to avoid any kind of waterlogging issues in the areas. We have given special care to areas falling under low-lying areas. During the first shower, some waterlogging happens, which is mainly because the dirt, mud, and leaves cover the drains and do not allow the water to flow, but we have taken that seriously and have cleared all such spots.”
