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Mahesh Society Chowk residents protest poor drainage, release boats in wastewater
The protesters demanded that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) address the drainage issues at Mahesh Society Chowk on an immediate and urgent basis
Fed up of the continuous flow of wastewater onto the streets at Mahesh Society Chowk, Bibwewadi, residents on Monday protested in a unique manner the poor condition of the drainage system in their area.
Two wooden boats were released in the (waste)waterlogged Mahesh Society Chowk with persons dressed as astronauts sitting inside holding placards saying: “Are the engineers to be called from Mars?”; “Take a boat, not a vehicle, through Mahesh Society Chowk”. The protesters demanded that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) address the drainage issues at Mahesh Society Chowk on an immediate and urgent basis.
Ramvilas Maheshwari, local resident and secretary of the Pune city unit of the Congress, said, “For the last four months, this chowk is inundated with continuously flowing drainage water and we have complained about the issue to all concerned government agencies including the PMC, police department, public works department (PWD), and even the chief minister’s office (CMO). But nothing has happened and people are risking their lives travelling here. Hence, we decided to stage a protest today…”
As the drainage chamber in the middle of the road is completely broken, drainage water keeps flowing onto the road. Both pedestrians and motorists have to be cautious while navigating the chowk.
Swati Karkare, a resident, said, “Every day, we have to take this road but we cannot walk properly. Many a time, people have fallen in the continuously flowing water.”
A senior engineer from the PMC drainage department on condition of anonymity said, “There are three different drainage lines converging at this chowk and we are not able to find the exact point where choking is taking place due to which the drainage water is spilling onto the road. We are working to resolve the problem…”
