Forest department working to prevent repeat of 2019 flash floods

In order to prevent flash floods this monsoon, the department of forest has taken an initiative to create bunds and check dams atop Taljai Hills

In order to prevent flash floods this monsoon, the department of forest has taken an initiative to create bunds and check dams atop Taljai Hills. The department has been working on the behest of local corporators and guardian minister and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar who wrote to the authorities to find solutions to avoid 2019 flash floods.

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“We were approached by the local corporator and some local residents living near Taljai who requested if the forest department could do something to avoid the flash floods that caused destruction in 2019. Initially, we asked the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to look into the matter after conducting a survey, but the authorities said that the hill was in our jurisdiction, hence we thought of an environmental, sustainable and ecological friendly concept that could benefit the entire city,” said Rahul Patil, deputy conservator of forests.

According to Patil, the forest department began their survey a month ago and are now clearing the Taljai hill of Gliricidia which is a medium size leguminous tree of zero bio-gradable value and instead plant native plants.

“There are JCBs at work also to create small and medium bunds and check dams to help control the water flowing down towards the city. We have around two hectares of these trees to be cleared and plant native plants which will help in percolating rainwater.”

Several societies are directly hampered by the water flowing downhill from Taljai hill, Savarkar Society, Sahakar Nagar and others.

Suresh Buddhisagar, resident of Savarkar Society said, “We faced problems two years ago due to the illegal compound wall constructions allowed by PMC in the area surrounding us. Until the 70s, our society was the last one to be built officially. Now this area has undergone a lot of changes with several illegal constructions built over natural water outlets of Taljai hills.”

According to Buddhisagar, the PMC constructed concrete roads which blocked the water outlets, choking the drainage system. The water now flows on the road consequently causing flood water to rise and breach compound walls, causing the water gush into houses.

“This flow further connects to the nallah near Gajanan Maharaj temple. There is no proper provision of maintaining the water overflow. There are number of nallahs in this area which further connects to Ambil Odha. However, due to mismanagement of rainwater disbursement and illegal construction of slums near Taangwala Society, Lakshminagar area resulted in the Ambil odha Crisis. After writing to officials, we finally got the local corporators to look into the matters and the forest department is now building check dams so that the water atop in the quarry at Taljai does not percolate downhill,” said Buddhisagar.