Pune mayor shown black flags for monsoon ill-preparedness

Pune: The residents of Bibwewadi, led by a corporator, showed black flags to mayor Muralidhar Mohol accusing the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of its failure to address flood-related works for the past two years

Pune: The residents of Bibwewadi, led by a corporator, showed black flags to mayor Muralidhar Mohol accusing the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of its failure to address flood-related works for the past two years.

HT Image

Those staying along the nullahs and nearby residential societies have suffered damage to houses and property during the flash floods in the past. The mayor was also shown black flags when he visited Sahakarnagar, Pune cantonment, Kothrud, Kasba peth and Parvati areas to check monsoon preparedness works.

Prashant Jagtap, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) city unit president who led the protests, termed the PMC administration as “anti-people and callous”. He said PMC has failed to carry out nullah-cleaning activity leaving residents at the mercy of monsoon fury.

Anil Mohite, a resident, said, “We have not seen any nullah-cleaning and construction of fencing wall works being done during April and May. The PMC administration and elected representatives are least concerned about our lives.”

Social worker Nitin Kadam from Parvati said, “Houses on the banks of Ambil Odha were badly affected due to rains on October 21 in 2019 and later also. PMC has been lax and citing Covid as an excuse.”

The residents of Gururaj Housing Society and adjoining areas of Padmavati and Sahakarnagar faced a tough time as water breached Ambil Odha and entered into their society on Tuesday. The September 25-26 flash floods was the result of a wall collapse surrounding the Ambil Odha.

Environmentalists and urban planning experts stated that key causes for the severe overnight deluge at Ambil Odha was due to reduction of natural water passageways and mismanagement of space around a stormwater drain in the area.