Car swept away by overflowing nullah in Pune; driver escapes

A car and driver was washed away near Sanskriti School, Undri, in Pune on Saturday night as a nullah in the area was overflowing with rainwater

PUNE Intense spells of rain saw waterlogging at several places on Saturday, with Undri, Mohammadwadi, Dhanori, Vishrantwadi, Yerawada and Lohegaon all seeing roads submerged in the rain water.

A car and driver was washed away near Sanskriti School, Undri, in Pune on Saturday night as a nullah in the area was overflowing with rainwater. (HT)

A car and driver was washed away near Sanskriti School in Undri on Saturday night. The driver Munawwar Sharif managed to save himself. A nullah in the area was overflowing with rainwater around 8.30 pm and Sharif tried to cross it when his car got swept away.

The nullah which passes through the area does not have a barricading or a retaining wall. Area residents have been demanded construction of a mini-bridge on both sides of the road.

Social activist Rajendra Bhintade said, “The area is extremely dangerous and can lead to loss of lives and a bigger tragedy can happen. We have been demanding construction of a mini retaining wall at the spot, but our plea has fallen on deaf ears.”

In Mohammadwadi, a car parked outside Vibgyor school near Dorabjee Heritage was submerged in the deluge on the road on Saturday. The car was later removed on Sunday.

Heavy rainfall within a short span caused water to enter housing societies. Between 5pm and 8:30 pm Lohegaon received 75.8mm rainfall while Shivajinagar got 49.2mm and Chinchwad 70mm.

PMC deputy commissioner Madhav Jagtap said, “Heavy machinery was deployed to ensure that filth was removed from the nullahs. Also chronic spots will be taken up for repairs and action will be taken. We will respond at the earliest to all the problems.”