Latest news with #RiverFrontDevelopment
Indian Express
28-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
To protect flood-prone areas PMC demands Rs 300 cr from disaster management dept for RFD project
Claiming that the RiverFront Development (RFD) project would provide complete protection of adjoining localities of Mutha river from flooding and increase the water carrying capacity of the river, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has sought Rs 300 crore from the state Disaster Management department for developing the RFD on a stretch from Vadgaon Khurd to Rajaram bridge to tackle the flooding at Ektanagar, Vitthalnagar and Nimbajnagar on Sinhagad road, when water is released from Khadakwasla dam. 'The Rs 4,727 crore RFD project is implemented in phases for the 44.40 km stretch of the Mula and Mutha river passing through the civic area. This project will increase the water carrying capacity of the rivers and also provide complete protection from flooding to localities alongside the river,' said municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. Last year and as well as in the past, the locality of Ektanagar, Vitthalnagar and Nimbajnagar on Sinhagad road witnessed flooding after a large amount of water was released from Khadakwasla dam. 'The residents of the flood affected localities are demanding immediate implementation of the RFD project at the Mutha river bank alongside their locality. However, the entire project completion will take ten years and the 4.10 km river stretch in the area needs Rs 300 crore for development under RFD. If the state government gives funds through Disaster Management for the purpose then the development of the stretch can be taken up immediately,' he said. The project includes constructing embankments on both sides, a jogging track, tree plantations, beautification of the bank and stopping sewage water from entering through nullahs in the area. The Pune civic body has completed 90 percent work of RFD on 3.7 km stretch from Sangamwadi to Bundgarden, 32 percent of work on 5.3 km river stretch from Bund Garden to Mundhwa bridge while recently started work on the 8.8 km stretch from Wakad bypass to Sangvi, he added. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Over 2,500 more illegal structures in blue line; PCMC vows to continue action
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will soon begin action against 2,534 illegal structures located within the blue flood line zones. These were identified during a survey conducted last year, and the demolition drive will be carried out in phases, officials said. Of the 2,534 identified structures, 1,392 are residential, 1,118 commercial, and 24 include tin sheds and under-construction buildings. These are located within the flood-prone blue line zones of the Pavana, Indrayani, and Mula rivers. Shekhar Singh, PCMC municipal commissioner, said, 'The drive will be undertaken in a phased manner. Demolition of buildings within the blue flood line of the Pavana, Mula, and Indrayani rivers will begin soon to prevent potential loss of life and property.' Flood lines are demarcated by the irrigation department based on flood risk assessments, and any construction activity within these zones is prohibited. Raju Savle, a civic activist, criticised the planned action, alleging double standards by the PCMC. 'The civic body itself has carried out construction in blue line zones for various projects. When citizens do the same, it is labelled illegal. Many of these constructions were previously approved by the PCMC,' he said. Savle pointed specifically to PCMC's River Front Development (RFD) work being carried out within the blue line. Last September, PCMC initiated a similar demolition drive, razing 27 structures spread across 37,900 sq ft in the blue line zones of the three rivers. Notices were issued to owners of 1,092 structures. However, following political pressure and persistent heavy rains, the action was temporarily halted.
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘This is just a beginning': As PCMC stays RFD work in Pimple Nilakh, green groups galvanised to continue protests
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has put a stay on a 400–metre River Front Development (RFD) project in Pimple Nilakh area which falls within its jurisdiction. The PCMC has undertaken the project from Wakad bypass to Sangvi bridge. Sanjay Kulkarni, Chief Engineer of PCMC and head of the civic environmental department, has said that the pause was temporary, to carry out redesigning work on the project, which will take about a week. 'We have asked the firm involved, B G Shirke Constructions Technology Pvt Ltd, to stop the work for now on a 400 metre stretch in Pimple Nilakh area. This is being done with the objective of redesigning the project on this stretch. At the time of execution, as per the site condition, we revise the design. As per the revised drawings, we will execute the project,' he said. Kulkarni said the irrigation department has asked the civic body to redesign the stretch work following protests from citizens and environmentalists. Work on the remaining nine km will continue. The RFD aims to beautify a 44 km river stretch of Mula and Mutha rivers that flow through the city. It has become a cause of protests by citizen groups who point out the threats to biodiversity and the dangers of concretisation, which include urban flooding, among others. The protests culminated in a civil society march, 'Nadi Sathi Nadi Kathi' to the Dada Ghat Shamshan Bhumi in April. It is this site where the work has been stayed at present. Citizen groups, suspecting that the RFD was motivated by commercial interests, have been knocking on almost every door and have even met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to ensure that the civic bodies concentrate on cleaning the river and following a scientific process in developing the riverfront. On May 1, Delhi-based politician Maneka Gandhi had spoken to Shekhar Singh, the PCMC chief, and asked him to send a team with Aditya Paranjape, the Hon Wildlife Warden, to 'see what is happening'. On Friday, Gandhi welcomed the news of the stay on the RFD on the 400 m stretch. 'Rivers are more important than anything else and river ecology is the most important,' she said. The stay on the project has come as an encouragement for citizen groups. Dhananjay Shedbale, who had been a part of the group that had sat in hunger strike before the PCMC office against the RFD, said, 'The latest development of ceasing the work is the result of the protest movement that has been going on for two months. Our demand is 'clean water, clean river' and not concretisation. We reached out to the masses and to the decision makers and went up to the Chief Minister.' Shedbale added that 'this is just a beginning'. 'I am hopeful that the authorities will realize that this project, called river rejuvenation, is really a river-killing project. The focus should not be on construction but the constructive work of rejuvenation, i.e making the water clean from the origin till the confluence. Only then, will rivers flow and the river ecosystem will flourish. It will help the city and the purpose will be served,' said Shedbale. It is evident that Pune will see more protests to drive the point about improving the river in the next few months, and not only on the PCMC side. 'At present, work has been stayed only at Pimple Nilakh, which is a temporary and unpredictable response. They probably mentioned only Pimple Nilakh because, here, they have already violated an old NGT order. Citizens intend to continue the struggle until all encroachments in all riverbeds and on all riverbanks are removed,' said Shailaja Deshpande, among the most respected and vocal senior members of environment-conscious citizen groups. Deshpande reiterated that, though ceasing of the work near Pimple Nilakh, is a positive response from authorities, it can be said to be very little and temporary. 'It has taken huge efforts by citizens to consistently follow up with all government authorities, conduct awareness campaigns and hold umpteen meetings with different political leaders and ministries. Citizens have gone to Delhi and Mumbai and have banged on all possible closed doors. Our request is to remove dumping in the riverbed from Wakad to Sangvi. Both PMC and PCMC must consider citizens' demands and modify their existing unscientific and damaging design,' added Deshpande. The demand of citizens is not confined to only Mula near Wakad to Sangvi but for all rivers- Mula, Mutha, Mula-Mutha, Pawana and Indrayani. 'Citizen groups are against the way the project is being implemented. We want the conditions of the rivers to be improved. Reviving river projects is required but not the way they are being implemented currently,' added Deshpande.
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
All objections addressed, River Rejuvenation Project will not be halted: PCMC chief
During Sunday's protest in Pimple Nilakh area, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Anna Bansode, met the agitators on Mula river bank and said he will ask PMC and PCMC commissioners to stop the River Front Development project work. The project is estimated to cost Rs 275 crore and PCMC will be implementing it on a 20 km stretch in its jurisdiction. Currently, work on a 8 km stretch is underway. Environmentalists told Bansode about the 'illegal tree' felling in the city and the activities carried out under the 'guise' of the RFD project. Bansode said the 'illegal' tree felling under the guise of the RFD project was wrong and expressed concern over the fact that riverbed is being narrowed due to dumping of debris earth Bansode assured that an inquiry into the matter would be conducted, and discussions would be held with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers before making a decision on the project. When asked about whether Bansode spoke to him, the PCMC chief said, 'The Deputy Speaker raised the concerns expressed by the evironmentalists with him. I told him about the entire issue. About how the matter had gone before the National Green Tribunal, how enviromental clearance and amended environmental clearance have been received for the project. He was told about the NoCs received from the irrigation department also from central government institutes.' In light of past developments and all legal approvals and clearances, the PCMC chief said the project will go ahead. 'I have informed the Deputy Speaker about our stand,' he said. About the allegation from activists that around 40,000 trees along the riverbanks were cut down or destroyed under the pretext of transplantation, the PCMC commissioner said, 'I don't know where the figure of 40,000 trees has come from. Currently, we have undertaken work on 8 km stretch in Pimple Nilakh area. Here, we would be cutting down 300 trees. Some of them are invasive, exotic species which we will have to cut down. These trees are not in a position to be transplated. The government wants us to remove them. But we are compensating this loss by planting and transplanting trees four to five times. At least 1,000 trees will be transplanted. We will do our best to ensure that the green loss is compensated by a much high degree.' Singh said they have also changed the design at some places which will help save 700 trees. 'At some places, the design change, especially while constructing the bunding wall for flood control, will help save 700 trees.' Describing the project as River Rejuvenation Project, the commissioner said, 'It is River Rejuvenation Project not River Front Development Project.' 'No one is talking about the fact that we will be channelling the nullah water into our sewage treatment plants, and only after the water is treated, it will be released in the river. We are setting up STPs at several places where they were never set up. We are upgrading the existing STPs. In short, we are undertaking augmentation of the STP network. Besides, the drainage network is being expanded and overhauled,' Singh said. The activists project threatens to destroy biodiversity, narrow the riverbed, and increase the risk of flooding. 'These issues have been discussed threadbare with envirnomentalists before the NGT. We have addressed all concerns raised so far,' he said. The PCMC chief said he would again be holding a presentation and press conference on the issue to explain the project in greater details to journalists, citizens and activists.
