Monsoon preparedness: Ramnadi Restoration Mission report lays out plan for flood-free 2020
Report underlines measures that the PMC should look at, including restoration of natural waterways and desilting
In August 2019, the Ramnadi (river) flooded parts of Pune, prompting organisations in the city to undertake a restoration programme.
These organisations, under the banner of Kirloskar Vasundhara initiated the Ramnadi Restoration Mission and on Tuesday, presented a report to the Pune Municipal Corporation and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
The report, titled ‘Flood Free Ramnadi 2020’, underlines measures that the PMC should look at, including restoration of natural waterways and desilting.
The report, which will be submitted on June 24 to the PMC commissioner, the mayor and the enivronmental department of the PMC, called for the restoration of the natural cross-section of the river, which claims carries the maximum water to be restored. River bed slopes, bottom widths as well as bank slopes need to be restored.
Flooding is a natural characteristic of any river, but interventions in the river basin result in an amplification of the flood, which is what happened in the Ramnadi. “In Baner-Bavdhan-Pashan areas around Ramnadi, the velocity of water coming from the source regions was high, while the downstream it was low, as the Ramnadi channel has narrowed at various places. We have recommended clearing of the river channel, removal of debris and pipes and clearing all streams, as short-term measures. We have made several long term and policy measures too,” said Gurdas Nulkar, member of the Ecological Society.
The report also states various ways of effectively preventing flooding, by widening of the waterway to safely carry a flood discharge; or deepening of the river to to accommodate incoming overflow from nallahs and tributaries.
The report cites encroachments within the flood lines to be removed and restricted zones to be clearly marked henceforth, with the restoration of natural drainage channels that have been encroached upon, blocked or diverted.
According to Virendra Chitrav, convenor of the Ramnadi Restoration Mission: “This advisory will be important for PMC to follow to help stop flooding in areas the Ramnadi flows through. We have recommended creating a hazard mitigation committee with representatives of all PMC departments, public representatives and NGOs, to reduce the economic and social costs of natural hazards. The committee will update and drive communication between the PMC, gram panchayat, irrigation department, NGOs, citizen groups, corporators and sarpanch-level officials. A single-point coordinator needs to be appointed by the PMC to create an actionable program.”
The NGOs involved in the Ramnadi Restoration mission are: Ecological Society, Vasundhara Swatchata Abhiyan, Jivitnadi, Biospheres, Mission Ground Water, KOEL, KPCL, Jaldevta Seva Abhiyaan, and Paradkar Foundation.