E-Paper
PMC denies claims of debris dumping on Mula-Mutha riverbed
According to PMC, actual work on the Mula-Mutha riverfront development project has not yet started and only a tender for the Sangamwadi to Bundgarden stretch has been floated as of now
PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has refuted civic activists’ claim that they are dumping debris in the riverbed of the Mula-Mutha thereby hindering the riverfront development project. According to the corporation, actual work on the riverfront development project has not yet started and only a tender for the Sangamwadi to Bundgarden stretch has been floated as of now. Also, the corporation has taken help from the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) to design the project.
On October 28, the chief engineer of the water resources department of the Pune division wrote a letter to the PMC with reference to civic activist Sarang Yadwadkar’s allegations that the corporation is dumping debris on both sides of the Mula-Mutha river under the guise of the riverfront development project and that this in turn has obstructed the natural flow of the river apart from violating the state government’s orders dated September 29, 1989 and May 3, 2018.
The water resources department also warned the PMC against obstructing the natural flow of the river, changing its cross-section, and reducing its carrying capacity. Else, the chief engineer of the water resources department of the Pune division will take action against the PMC. The civic body is solely responsible for construction in the prohibitive and restrictive zone of the river as well as human and financial losses due to flooding.
However, environment officer of the PMC, Mangesh Dighe, responded to the letter written by the chief engineer of the water resources department of the Pune division saying, “The PMC has not yet started any physical work on the Mula-Mutha riverfront development project. It is at the tender level. We just floated the first tender of the project.”
While Yuvraj Deshmukh, superintendent engineer of the building permission and control department who is also a part of the project, said, “The corporation has consulted with the CWPRS. We have approved the design and incorporated the suggestions in the project. CWPRS gave us a hydrological report. Since 2016, we are discussing every detail and giving presentations to the concerned stakeholders about this project.”
According to civic officials, the Mula-Mutha river flows through the PMC, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), Khadki and Pune Cantonment areas for 44 km. There is 650 hectare land available for development of the green belt of the river which will be given for development to private players to get funds for the project. Out of the 650 hectare, only 75 hectare belongs to the government and the remaining is private. Hence, the PMC will get money in development charges from development of land along the river. The total estimated cost of the project is ₹4,727 crore. In the first three years, the corporation will spend ₹800 crore and the remaining project will be implemented on the public private partnership (PPP) model.
