Altering the course of nallah at Yewalewadi may have intensified flash floods: PMC

Five months after the September 25, 2019, flash floods killed 26 people in Pune and damaged property worth crores of rupees, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has accepted that a nallah (canal) flowing through Yewalewadi near the Katraj-Kondhwa road, had been closed at the time.

According to Sangeeta Thosar, Shiv Sena coporator from Yewalewadi, the closing down of the nallah could have added to the flooding in September 2019.

The PMC, in a written reply to Thosar, said that during a survey, post the flash floods, it was found that the nallah flowing from Yewalewadi to Kondhwa was closed due to construction activity in the area.

Prashant Waghmare, PMC city engineer said, “It is true that nallah was encroached on in Yewalewadi. This area was earlier a part of the PMRDA and under town planning. As these agencies did not have the topography and other surveys, some building permissions were given on the nallah, altering its course. It is also one of the reasons for the floods. As this area now has become part of PMC, we are conducting a survey specially designed for nallahs. The PMC will soon take a policy decisions on these encroachments.” 

Thosar said, “It is very risky for the entire area as the nallah has been closed down due to encroachments. I raised the issue with the PMC. My demand is that the PMC remove the encroachments and debris blocking the flow of water.”

According to PMC’s administration department, the PMRDA town planning department has given permission for construction in this area on survey no. 7, 10, 13, 14 and 15.

According to the information shared by the PMC’s drainage department, water flowing coming from Katraj lake couldn’t find a natural course to pass through and hence flooded the Saswad Bopdev Ghat road. This had an impact on the road along Sun Exotica to Leprosy Centre, Vidyashilp road Sinhgad College road.

Road along nallah not aligned

PMC administration department in its remarks also said that the road along the nallah is not aligned. The length of the road from survey no. 15 in Yewalewadi to survey no. 7 in Kondhwa is 1,150 metre and its width is 2.5 metre. This nallah flows from survey no. 7, 10, 13, 14 and 15. The town planning department has given permission for construction and the debris blocked the flow of water.

September 25 flash floods recap

-After flash floods,the PMC appointed ‘PriMove’ company to conduct an audit of the encroachments throughout the Ambil Odha

-The report was submitted to the PMC in January and it has identified 77 encroachments

-PMC has issued notices to all the owners of these buildings

-18 people from Pune and 26 persons from Pune district lost their lives

-28,000 people were evacuated in Pune district

-10,500 residents were rescued from flood affected areas

400 livestock died