One month since Pune’s flash floods: Monsoon and hardships here to stay, ask flood-affected
Residents fear that in case incessant heavy rains continue they will have no option, but to run out of houses like in the past; district collector says regular follow-ups are in place
It will be a month for the flash floods which struck the city on September 25 but, the victims who are picking up their pieces of life are still not able to stabilise.
The death toll in Pune city has gone up to 18 and that in Pune district 26. Two persons are still missing and search operations by the Pune district administration is in progress.
Deepak Mule, a resident of slum area in Dandekar bridge, said, “Remembering those days is alike a nightmare for us, my family members and I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Things are more or less the same for us even today, as the rains continue in the city. We have cleaned our houses at least three to four times again after September flash floods. Now, we live in the fear that in case if incessant heavy rains continue we will have to run out of our houses,” said Mule.
Rahul Ahire, a resident of Katraj, said, “Since the flash floods none of the politicians came to help us. We are struggling to bring our lives back to normal.”
“Our entire house was damaged in the flash floods. The civic body should help us in rehabilitation,” said Ahire.
Naval Kishore Ram, district collector, said, “We are regularly taking follow-ups with the residents who are affected because of the flash floods last month. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner Saurabh Rao and my team are working together. After the counting will be done we will hold a meeting regarding rehabilitation.”
“Our search is on for the missing persons, but sometimes it may happen that bodies may have flown into the other district areas. Unless all the bodies are found we will keep on our search operations on,” said Rao.