Rs 5.5 crore allocated for nullah cleanup in PMRDA region, tender to be finalized in 15 days

Time of India

4 days ago

Pune: PMRDA has allocated Rs 5.5 crore for removing encroachments on nullahs and addressing flood-prone spots across its 6,000 sqkm area, senior officials told TOI.
While pre-monsoon cleaning typically begins before the rains, delay in the tendering process affected the cleanup work.
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"The funds were allocated, and the work will proceed even during the monsoon," said an official.
Usually, civic bodies and local authorities undertake such cleaning between Jan and Feb. However, this year's delayed tendering narrowed the window for effective implementation.
The cleanup will also focus on 23 merged villages within Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) region, with joint efforts to identify and clear encroachments and flood-prone areas, which the officials said would be carried out with the help of PMC
PMRDA officials clarified that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was responsible for addressing nullah encroachments and waterlogging in these merged villages, as they now fall under PMC's jurisdiction.
"We lack the machinery to take direct action," said a PMRDA representative.
Last year, PMC and PMRDA officials jointly surveyed newly added villages, identifying 189 encroachments and 125 waterlogging hotspots. A draft plan proposed creating a 7.5 to 9-metre-wide green belt with drainage gardens along affected drains.
In a recent meeting, officials agreed on removing encroachments and taking immediate flood mitigation measures.
However, with the monsoon already underway, work will be executed following further discussions. "Work will be undertaken soon for these areas too with the help of PMC," stated PMRDA officials.
PMC shared the list of encroachments and flood spots with PMRDA for action. Officials maintained that PMRDA issues building permits without checking nullah encroachments, leading to severe waterlogging. This negligence is a major cause of flooding.
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Residents' associations also voiced concerns, highlighting the overlapping roles of PMRDA and PMC. While PMRDA grants construction permissions in the merged villages, PMC collects property tax. Since the state scrapped the development plan (DP) prepared by PMRDA, these 23 villages now fall fully under PMC's jurisdiction.
A resident of flood-prone Wagholi said, "The cleanup should have been completed before the monsoon, not during it."