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Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Irrigation dept raises concerns over ongoing riverfront development project
PUNE The irrigation (water resources) department has raised concerns over the ongoing Riverfront Development (RFD) project along the Mula-Mutha river undertaken by Pune- and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, asking both corporations to exercise caution while executing works related to the project so as not to reduce the cross-section of the river and not violate the conditions mentioned in the no-objection certificate (NOC) for the project, officials said. H V Gunale, chief engineer, water resources department, Pune, emphasised that the project must be carried out with the utmost care, following scientific methods, and with minimal damage to the river's natural features. 'We have urged both corporations to take the necessary precautions to protect the river's flow, prevent erosion of the riverbanks, and safeguard the region's biodiversity,' he said. Earlier, the water resources department had granted NOCs for this project to the PMC and PCMC on the condition that the river's carrying capacity will not be reduced and that the river's cross-section will not be altered in any way. However, the department continued to receive complaints from citizens and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) regarding violation of NOC norms at various locations such as Wakad, Vishal Nagar, Pimple Nilakh, Kaspate Vasti, Bund Garden, Holkar Bridge and the Ramnadi confluence. Reports and site inspections revealed that the ongoing work involves heavy dumping of material in the riverbed, excavation of the river floor, and even construction of roads within the river itself. Local residents and environmentalists raised concerns over these activities reducing the river's natural flow and harming its biodiversity. Significantly, a public interest litigation (PIL) on the matter is also being currently heard in the high court and the government in response has appointed a special committee led by additional chief secretary of the water resources department to re-demarcate flood lines and monitor the project. Besides, a notice has been issued to the PCMC on March 22 for illegal dumping of debris and rubble near Pimple Nilakh crematorium for the ongoing RFD work. A major concern raised by experts is that the two municipal corporations are handling the project on different sides of the same river. Ideally, a single agency should be responsible for the entire cross-section of the river to ensure uniformity and avoid technical complications, according to green activists. Meanwhile, Sanjay Kulkarni, city engineer and head of the environmental department, PCMC, said, 'We have received the letter from the irrigation department and all terms and conditions mentioned in the NOC will be followed by us during the RFD work. The letter has been issued following pressure from green activists and NGOs opposing the project.' When contacted, Yuvraj Deshmukh, chief engineer, RFD project, PMC, said that they are following all terms and conditions of the NOC in the course of the RFD work.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Irrigation dept urges civic bodies to exercise caution while carrying out riverfront development works
1 2 3 Pune: The irrigation department has written to both PMC and PCMC , urging them to exercise caution while carrying out riverfront development project (RFD) works to ensure that the cross-section of the river was not reduced and the conditions mentioned in the no objection certificate (NOC) granted for the project were strictly followed. In his letter, H V Gunale, chief engineer of the irrigation department, said that they received multiple complaints from residents and NGOs regarding the ongoing RFD work in areas such as Wakad, Vishalnagar , Pimple Nilakh , Kaspate Wasti, Bund Garden, Holkar Bridge, and other areas. He said debris was dumped on the riverbed at several sites, and activities such as digging and road construction were also irrigation officials further said that the civic bodies were granted NOC on the condition that they would undertake caution while doing the work to ensure that the river's carrying capacity was not in the case of RFD project at Pimple Nilakh, PMC is carrying out work on one bank of the river while PCMC is doing it on the other side. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list Did Pak shoot down Indian jets? What MEA said India foils Pakistan's attack on Jammu airport: What we know so far "Such works must be coordinated and executed by a single agency to ensure that the cross-section was not affected and the river's carrying capacity maintained. Failure to do so can lead to flooding and affect the designated flood lines," he civic bodies were also expected to carry out the work scientifically to ensure minimum damage to the environment and the natural cross-section of the river. Gunale said that the irrigation department's responsibility was to ensure that the flow of water bodies like rivers, canals or nullahs was not obstructed in urban on April 22, the executive engineer of the irrigation department, in a letter to the PCMC, asked them to immediately remove the debris dumped in Mula river at Pimple Nilakh. The executive engineer, in his letter, warned that failure to do so would invite action under the Maharashtra Irrigation Act, Kulkarni, the city engineer and head of the PCMC's environment department, said that a cofferdam, a temporary enclosure built in water to create a dry working area, was built inside the river while carrying out the work, which caused the dumping. However, he assured that these structures would be removed before the onset of the monsoon. "In the RFD project design, we have ensured that the river's cross-section will not be affected," he environment activists have already raised objections against RFD, claiming that the project would reduce the riverbed by around 38%. Prashant Raul of Green Army said that the irrigation officials have highlighted several serious violations in the project, and these were based on the observations from almost all the sites where works related to the RFD project are underway. "The municipal bodies were not following the conditions mentioned in the NOC granted by any agency, as the forest and wildlife department had earlier issued them notices for the same project," he The irrigation department has written to both PMC and PCMC, urging them to exercise caution while carrying out riverfront development project (RFD) works to ensure that the cross-section of the river was not reduced and the conditions mentioned in the no objection certificate (NOC) granted for the project were strictly followed. In his letter, H V Gunale, chief engineer of the irrigation department, said that they received multiple complaints from residents and NGOs regarding the ongoing RFD work in areas such as Wakad, Vishalnagar, Pimple Nilakh, Kaspate Wasti, Bund Garden, Holkar Bridge, and other areas. He said debris was dumped on the riverbed at several sites, and activities such as digging and road construction were also irrigation officials further said that the civic bodies were granted NOC on the condition that they would undertake caution while doing the work to ensure that the river's carrying capacity was not in the case of RFD project at Pimple Nilakh, PMC is carrying out work on one bank of the river while PCMC is doing it on the other side. "Such works must be coordinated and executed by a single agency to ensure that the cross-section was not affected and the river's carrying capacity maintained. Failure to do so can lead to flooding and affect the designated flood lines," he civic bodies were also expected to carry out the work scientifically to ensure minimum damage to the environment and the natural cross-section of the river. Gunale said that the irrigation department's responsibility was to ensure that the flow of water bodies like rivers, canals or nullahs was not obstructed in urban on April 22, the executive engineer of the irrigation department, in a letter to the PCMC, asked them to immediately remove the debris dumped in Mula river at Pimple Nilakh. The executive engineer, in his letter, warned that failure to do so would invite action under the Maharashtra Irrigation Act, Kulkarni, the city engineer and head of the PCMC's environment department, said that a cofferdam, a temporary enclosure built in water to create a dry working area, was built inside the river while carrying out the work, which caused the dumping. However, he assured that these structures would be removed before the onset of the monsoon. "In the RFD project design, we have ensured that the river's cross-section will not be affected," he environment activists have already raised objections against RFD, claiming that the project would reduce the riverbed by around 38%. Prashant Raul of Green Army said that the irrigation officials have highlighted several serious violations in the project, and these were based on the observations from almost all the sites where works related to the RFD project are underway. "The municipal bodies were not following the conditions mentioned in the NOC granted by any agency, as the forest and wildlife department had earlier issued them notices for the same project," he said.
