Pre-monsoon showers expose PMC’s slow pace on flood-prevention
Despite repeated flooding incidents in recent years, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has made minimal progress on critical flood prevention work at several longstanding waterlogging hotspots
Even before the monsoon has officially arrived, heavy pre-monsoon showers have lashed Pune, once again exposing the city’s lack of preparedness. Despite repeated flooding incidents in recent years, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has made minimal progress on critical flood prevention work at several longstanding waterlogging hotspots.
In the first phase of its flood mitigation efforts, the PMC identified 31 vulnerable locations across the city for intervention. However, only three of these projects have been completed so far, while work has not even started at 12 sites.
In Yerwada, the PMC has also been unable to begin any work due to the ongoing construction of the Yerwada Metro station at the same site.
Although Pune’s average annual rainfall is around 722 mm, climate change and rapid urbanisation have pushed this figure to nearly 1,000 mm in recent years. In November 2015, intense rainfall caused widespread flooding in areas such as Dhanori, Vishrantwadi, Lohgaon, and Tingre Nagar, damaging homes and infrastructure. Similar events have since been reported in other parts of the city, including the Ambil Odha area.
Each year, the traffic police provide the PMC with an updated list of flood-prone zones, along with recommendations for preventive measures. The PMC also conducts its own surveys to identify new areas needing attention.
As part of a national initiative under the national disaster management plan (NDMP), Pune was selected as one of seven cities to receive special funding for disaster resilience. Under this program, the city is set to receive ₹250 crore over five years for long-term flood mitigation projects, including the construction of 28 stormwater drain lines and five large culverts at the 31 identified locations.
The PMC had set a target date of May 30 to complete this work. Yet, since April 1, only three projects—located at Pari Company in Narhe, Khadi Machine Chowk, and Kodre Bungalow on Mundhwa Road—have been finished. Work is ongoing at 16 other sites, but 12 remain untouched.
A senior official from the PMC’s drainage department admitted, “The central government had not released funds for the past three years but work under the NDMP has now finally begun. These are long-term measures meant to reduce flooding in 31 critical areas. Unfortunately, due to several issues, much of the work has yet to start.”
He added, “Work began in April, but now, with the onset of pre-monsoon showers and delays in obtaining permissions, completing the ongoing projects and starting new ones has become increasingly difficult.”
Vikas Gaikwad, a resident of Kalwad in Lohegaon, voiced his frustration: “Every year, our area floods during heavy rain. Roads turn into rivers, and we’re trapped indoors. We’ve complained so many times, but no permanent solution has come. We don’t know how many more years we’ll have to live like this.”
