How clean can be my river: Unique riverbed walk in Pune showcases citizen action

The walk, attended by a crowd, made up of dancers, students, and nature lovers, began at the Ramnadi Bridge in Bavdhan. “When I was younger, there were farmlands around the river and farmers would look after the riverside. During the construction boom of the 1990s, farmers began selling their lands and moving away. Thereafter, thoughtless planning led to the present decadence of the river,” said Karanjawane.

The trickle of water under Ramnadi Bridge is clear now, after the three got JCB machines through crowd funding and other resources to desilt and clean the riverbed, repair sewage chambers and set up barriers to trap sewage and trash that flow with the water once monsoon picks up.

The walk wound past the Songbirds building complex, beside an old temple, as Gharre pointed out sites of waterfalls, pools with possible hidden springs as well as breaches in drains from where filth enters the river.

“Organisations, private of government, or groups of people can use our model of Ramnadi to clean up stretches of Pawana and Indrayani rivers too,” says Gharre, who is also vice president (Pune) of Aam Aadmi Party.

The walk ended at Manas Lake which is being desilted at present, in view of the water shortage in Pune distrcit. JCB machines are a common sight here. “The inititaive of desilting the lake has been taken up by surrounding villages and building complexes. Somebody donated JCB machines and others helped out with other machinery. It is estimated that desilting Manas Lake will augment the lake with more than 3.5 crore litres of water,” says Gharre.