Pune canal breach : compensation for all

More than a week after the tragedy stuck Mutha right canal, taking away personal belonging of locals, the administration has made preparations to hand over compensation. What is conspicuous is most of those getting compensation have been living there illegally for decades.

These residents have settled along the canal during 1972 drought that state had witnessed when most of them migrated from Marathwada. The September 27 tragedy when canal breach caused flooding and affected over 700 settlements in Janata Vasahat near the Dandekar bridge area has exposed the inability of the Irrigation department and Pune municipal corporation (PMC) to check encroachments along the canal lands in the city.

As per the primary estimate released by the department, slums have come up at almost 400 acres owned by irrigation department. Despite the department’s repeated requests to the civic administration to help and remove the encroachments, post-canal breach incident the officials are blaming encroachment as the major hurdle for carrying out regular canal maintenance.

The State government and district administration took a stand to give compensation for all the families due to canal breach accident withot checking whehter they are legal or illegal occupants.

Guardian Minister Girish Bapat instructed the district administration to give compensation to all the families which got affected due to canal breach accident. Bapat also asked district collector Navl Kishor Ram to conduct the special camp to get necessary documents which were they lost due to flood.

“As per information 98 homes got completely affected due to flood and 661 homes affected partially. There are some complaints that the administration has not done the panchnama of their homes,” said Bapat while instructing the district administration to cross check the complaints and do the panchnama of all the properties which got damaged due to flood.

On the illegal structures, irregation department said it is for the PMC to act. “We have written to the PMC, but they are also unable to clear these slums,” said Pandurang Shelar, Khadakwasla division executive engineer.

VJ Kulkarni, PMC water department head, said, “We have received letters from the Irrigation department, but the slums on the canal lands are almost permanent now and it’s difficult to vacate it. While carrying out the closed water pipeline works, the PMC shifted almost 500 shanties.”

The administration is planning to give ration card, Aadhar Card, Gas connection and caste certificate to these families very soon and special camp would be organised for it. It is natural disaster and the citizens will get compensation as per natural disaster policy of the state government.