2 years on, PMC awaits NDMA funds
Meanwhile, the civic administration took one year to prepare an expenditure plan before forwarding it to the Centre in 2022
Though the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had approved to allocate ₹50 crore per annum to Pune city under the Urban Flood Mitigation Programme since 2021-22, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is yet to receive the fund.
Meanwhile, the civic administration took one year to prepare an expenditure plan before forwarding it to the Centre in 2022.
Urban floods pose a new challenge to larger cities, disrupting civic life and critical services. The damage and loss caused by urban floods are shared by the state and municipal corporations. Reducing the impact of floods is a critical priority of disaster management. The 15th Finance Commission recognised the severity of the problem and recommended a targeted allocation to the seven cities, including Pune, with NDMA approving ₹50 crore per year for each city till 2026.
Ganesh Sonune, head, PMC disaster management cell, said, “We submitted a ₹357-crore proposal to NDMA last year detailing the works planned under the programme. We are expecting to get funds for last two years together.”
The civic body’s proposal includes works under the road, drainage and river improvement departments in accordance with the project agreements.
The city has reported incidents of rainfall causing destruction in the past, including torrential rain on September 25, 2019, that caused Ambil Odha stream to overflow claiming 26 lives and cause significant damage to property.
