This year, Swargate ST depot waterlogged even before monsoon
Pune's Swargate ST depot faces early waterlogging, inconveniencing thousands of passengers before monsoon. Authorities working to resolve drainage issues.
Pune: Come every monsoon and wading through dirty, stagnant water at Swargate ST (state transport) depot is routine for thousands of passengers travelling to and from different parts of the state. This year however, commuters are having to put up with this kind of a situation way before the rainy season.
As the city witnessed heavy pre-monsoon showers last Thursday, areas inside and around Swargate ST depot were inundated and passengers were forced to wade through the dirty, stagnant water long before the onset of the monsoon. To the extent that the water has still not receded from inside and around the depot, and Maharashtra State Regional Transport (MSRTC) officials are trying to drain the area as soon as possible so that not only commuters but also pedestrians and passers-by can heave a sigh of relief.
Pradeep Awhad, assistant municipal commissioner, Bibwewadi ward office, said, “Every year, there is waterlogging in and around the Swargate ST stand. Upon checking with the drainage department officials, we found that it is not a PMC problem. The 12-inch drainage line of the ST depot is insufficient to carry a large volume of water, especially when there is heavy rain. We have written to the ST depot administration to change the drainage line as the waterlogging problem affects not only the passengers but also the pedestrians outside the depot.”
Ganesh Sonune, head of the disaster management department of the PMC, said, “We had already improved the stormwater drainage system in the Swargate area as it is low lying. Now, due to the inadequacy of the depot’s drainage system, pedestrians outside the depot too are facing problems as the water is flowing onto the road outside.”
Kailash Patil, MSRTC Pune divisional controller, said, “As the summer vacation is going on, there is a heavy rush of passengers travelling by the MSRTC buses. Due to the heavy rain in the last few days, the buses are running late. The waterlogging in and around the ST stand is due to the water from the drainage system outside flowing backwards into the ST stand. The civic authorities should carry out the necessary repairs.”
Whereas Maruti Jadhav, a passenger, said, “I came from Satara on Sunday. When I stepped down from the bus, I couldn’t walk because of the dirty sewage water. I managed to make my way out of the stand with my luggage somehow.”
Sandesh More, another passenger, said, “The Pune Metro is building a multimodal hub on one side of the road whereas on the other, we are facing waterlogging and mud. This is like two sides of a coin: development and neglect…”
Swargate is the city’s busiest ST depot with over 50,000 passengers travelling daily by the MSRTC buses and over 600 bus movements taking place every day.
