Probe permissions given for buildings on floodlines in Pune: Civic activists

Civic activists seek inquiry into permissions given for buildings on the blue floodline and act against officers

PUNE: Civic activists on Monday sought an inquiry into permissions given for buildings on the blue floodline and act against officers.

A construction on the blue floodline of a river in Pune. Civic activists seek inquiry into permissions given for buildings on the blue floodline and act against officers. (HT FILE)

Civic activists Sarang Yadwadkar, Vivek Velankar, Vijay Kumbhar, Sujit Patwardhan, Narendra Chugh, Shailaja Deshpande and Qaneez Sukhrani have jointly written to the municipal commissioner demanding verification of building permissions issued along riverside after November 2011.

Yadwadkar and Velankar said, “We found details that the PMC had approved a multistorey building at Wadgaon Budruk on survey number 13/1A/P which is inside the floodline. There are many such permissions issued by authorities.”

“All rivers must be free from encroachments and impediments, all building permissions issued along riverbanks after November 2011 should be reviewed and projects falling inside the floodline should be revoked and inquiry initiated against officers concerned,” Velankar said.

Yadwadkar said, “Earlier, the PMC did not earmark the floodlines after publishing the draft development plan in 2013. Irrigation department handed over the floodline details in March 2015. On the basis of the irrigation department’s report, the urban development department marked floodlines on the maps in February 2018. Despite instructions from the irrigation department, PMC kept approving building plans on floodlines.”

Activists said that such building constructions will affect the natural flow of river leading to rise in flood levels posing risk to human lives. The municipal commissioner should act against such illegal works which may put citizens’ life in danger.