State to release ₹30crore to strengthen flood risk measures, says Mohol
Pune: Pune Member of Parliament (MP) and Union minister Murlidhar Mohol reviewed pre-monsoon works with the Pune civic administration on Friday.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mohol said, 'The Centre has released ₹30 crore to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) under the National Disaster Management Scheme to mitigate the risk of urban flooding. Steps will be taken to ensure PMC receives the fund from Maharashtra government soon.'
The minister said that while monsoon preparedness work, including cleaning of nullahs and drains, is nearing completion, the civic body has identified 201 chronic waterlogging spots after the merger of 32 villages.
'The civic administration has already covered 117 spots, and the work to repair remaining 84 places will be completed before the arrival of the monsoon,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
PMC forms quick response teams for monsoon emergencies
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has constituted Quick Response Teams (QRTs) in all ward offices to tackle waterlogging and drain blockages during the monsoon. The teams will be on standby to respond urgently to rain-related emergencies across the city. Each team will work under the supervision of the assistant municipal commissioner and will include officers from the sewerage, road, motor vehicles, building and engineering departments at the ward level. The main task of the team will be to prevent waterlogging on roads and take immediate action in the event drains or sewers get blocked during heavy rain. On Tuesday, additional municipal commissioner B P Prithviraj issued an order to that effect and deputed QRTs to each ward office. Ganesh Sonune, head of the disaster management department of the PMC, said, 'We form QRTs every year but this time, we have made them more comprehensive. Officials from all key departments, along with ward-level officers, have been included in the teams. The teams now include engineers from the road, building permissions, drainage, and motor vehicles departments so that decisions can be taken on the spot with the help of the concerned officials.' PMC officials said that special machines like jetting, suction, grabbers, and JCBs will be available round-the-clock to support these teams. The teams will operate in both day- and night- shifts to ensure quick relief and smooth drainage during the rainy season. The remaining 20% of cleaning work is expected to be completed by June 7, officials said. 'The cleaning work is being carried out across the city in both day- and night- shifts using available machinery like jetting machines, suction recyclers, grab machines, and JCBs,' a senior official said. However, authorities acknowledged that despite pre-monsoon preparations, emergency blockages can occur during heavy rain leading to waterlogging or sewer overflow in certain areas. The QRTs are being formed to address such situations, they said.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
World Environment Day: India needs to mitigate the climate change threat to agriculture
Written by Renuka Chowdhury On World Environment Day, it is crucial to emphasise the relationship between agriculture in India, food security, and the increasing risks posed by climate change. Agriculture in India is becoming more susceptible to climate change, with variable and extreme weather patterns impacting crop yields and affecting the livelihoods of many farmers. The climate-induced stress has compounded existing agrarian distress, particularly for small and marginal farmers, and those with limited resources to adapt in tribal and aspirational districts, like Khammam in Telangana. While the government has initiated reforms and structured policies to build climate resilience in the agriculture sector, these mostly remain scattered and are implemented without a mission-mode approach. With climate change among the biggest threats to the agriculture sector, we need a comprehensive, well-funded national initiative that integrates adaptation and mitigation into agricultural planning. The Climate Transparency Report 2021 warns that with a temperature increase of 1–4°C, rice production could decline by 10–30 per cent and maize production by 25–70 per cent. This would directly affect food security. The government's own projection highlights that in the absence of adaptation measures, paddy and wheat yields may drop by 20 per cent, and maize by 18 per cent by 2050. As many as 310 districts have been identified as vulnerable to climate change. Khammam, a predominantly tribal district, is one such hotspot. While the projections may be for 2050, the telling tales of impending disaster are already before us. Each year, Khammam faces unseasonal heavy hailstorms in March and April, leading to heavy crop losses. Chilli production in the state has declined by over 100,000 tonnes in just one year, with major chilli-growing districts like Khammam witnessing major yield drops. Khammam is not alone. This trend extends across India. In Jammu and Kashmir, saffron production has plummeted by 67.5 per cent between 2010–11 and 2023–24. The Assam and Darjeeling tea industries are grappling with reduced productivity and shifts in quality. Data suggest that 80 per cent of Indian farmers have suffered crop losses due to adverse climatic events between 2019 and 2024. There is enough evidence to say that we need a new strategy to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture. I suggest three ways to go about this. First, we need wider adoption of the 2,900 climate-adaptive crop varieties developed by the National Agricultural Research System. The Union government must proactively facilitate the accessibility, availability and affordability of these climate-resilient seeds across all 310 climate-vulnerable districts, tailored to local agro-climatic conditions and cropping patterns. This should include direct support mechanisms such as seed subsidies, targeted extension services, and timely distribution through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and agricultural cooperatives. Local governance institutions like panchayats must be mobilised to lead mass awareness campaigns on climate-smart agricultural practices. Strategic collaborations between agricultural universities, NGOs, and local extension agents can amplify outreach. Second, the much-touted Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) must evolve to explicitly integrate climate change considerations into its risk coverage framework. While the scheme currently covers weather-related crop loss, it does not adequately account for productivity losses stemming from long-term and extreme climate variability. As an MP, I had raised this question in Parliament, calling for a forward-looking insurance model that reflects the complex risks farmers face today. The idea has gained global prominence now. Recently, even the European Commission, while highlighting the huge agricultural loss of €28.3 billion annually due to climate change, has advocated for climate-related risk insurance coverage for farmers. India must take the lead in pioneering climate-responsive agricultural insurance models by incorporating climate risk modelling, developing region-specific climate indices, and piloting parametric insurance instruments that disburse compensation based on clearly defined weather thresholds. Data suggest that only 20 per cent of farmers receive timely financial support under the PMFBY, and there are structural deficiencies like delayed claim settlements, difficulties in assessing crop damage, high cost of premium, and verifying yield data. I have personally witnessed such failures in Khammam, where hundreds of small and marginal farmers narrated stories of repeated delays, unresponsive insurance agents, and rejected claims despite evident crop loss. Third, the need of the hour is to embrace innovative and adaptive approaches to climate action in agriculture. One such approach that merits serious policy deliberation is the introduction of Index-Based Cash Transfers (IBCTs), particularly in climate-vulnerable districts. A successful example is the Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise (ACRE) in Africa, which implemented a mobile-enabled, input-linked index insurance programme. In this model, smallholder farmers receive climate-triggered payouts via mobile money, demonstrating the effectiveness of using localised weather data and public–private partnerships to build farmer resilience. Each crop and region presents unique challenges, requiring data-backed, locally contextualised solutions. Evidence-based decision-making must reflect the realities of each agro-climatic zone. The paths we chart today will not only safeguard the interests of our producers and consumers, but will also go miles in delivering climate justice to our farmers. The writer is a Rajya Sabha MP from the Indian National Congress and former Union Cabinet Minister
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
PMC to depute junior engineer to irrigation department's flood control room
After last year's flood-like situation on Sinhgad Road near Ektanagari, triggered by additional discharge from Khadakwasla dam, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to depute a junior engineer to irrigation department's flood control room for improved coordination. Additional municipal commissioner Prithviraj BP said the decision was taken during a pre-monsoon review meeting held on Tuesday by Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. 'Last year, there was a communication gap between the PMC and the irrigation department. The city received an additional discharge from the dam without prior intimation, which led to flooding on Sinhgad Road. To avoid such situations this year, an officer from the PMC will now be stationed at the irrigation department's flood control room to ensure timely updates and better coordination,' he said. The municipal commissioner also directed ward offices to hire essential equipment such as JCBs during the rainy season without waiting for approvals from the head office.
