Environmental activists call attention to MERI report, urge immediate action
According to the MERI, the current flood lines in Pune city are inadequate and the new flood levels are significantly higher than the old ones for all river-related projects
Calling attention to the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute’s (MERI’s) latest findings during a recent press conference, environmental activists Sarang Yadwadkar, Vijay Kumbhar and Vivek Velankar have urged local and state government bodies to take immediate action.
According to the MERI, the current flood lines in Pune city are inadequate and the new flood levels are significantly higher than the old ones for all river-related projects. Yadwadkar, has written to the divisional commissioner and municipal commissioners of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad saying: “Considering the MERI’s updated figures, the local bodies and state government must prioritise public safety by removing all encroachments and halting debris dumping in the riverbed immediately.”
Earlier, Yadwadkar had challenged Pune’s flood lines and the Riverfront Development (RFD) Project in court. Following this, the Bombay High Court directed the state government to form a committee, chaired by the additional chief secretary, to review the matter. The water resources department in turn tasked the MERI – a state government institute under the water resources department – with reassessing Pune’s flood lines. The MERI submitted its report in response to the Bombay HC directive. Referring to the MERI report, Yadwadkar said, “On January 6, 2025, the director general of the MERI shared updated flood quantities for the blue and red flood lines with the chief engineer of the water resources department. The figures are shocking and far exceed those used to demarcate the earlier flood lines.”
According to the MERI report, the new flood value for the Mutha River is 107,724 cusecs; up from the previous flood value of 60,000 cusecs. Whereas the new flood value for the Mula River is 98,755 cusecs; up from the previous flood value of 54,236 cusecs. Similarly, the new flood value for the combined flow of the Mula and Mutha rivers is 168,000 cusecs; up from the earlier 118,000 cusecs.
Yadwadkar explained that the earlier flood lines were based solely on dam discharge, without accounting for additional water from city nullahs (drainage channels) flowing into the rivers. By contrast, the new MERI studies factored in these additional contributions, resulting in significantly higher flood quantities, he said.