Irrigation Dept crosses swords with PMC

PUNE, MARCH 30: The Irrigation Department has taken strong objection to the move by the Pune Municipal Corporation to construct roads and ...

PUNE, MARCH 30: The Irrigation Department has taken strong objection to the move by the Pune Municipal Corporation to construct roads and parking lots in the river bed on the ground that it would lead to an increase in the flood line, especially during the rainy season.

Irrigation officials say they are helpless because the civic administration is paying no heed to their objections and is going ahead with its idea of constructing roads and parking lots. The department had sent a letter to the municipal corporation this month, objecting to the parking lots. But PMC officials deny receiving any such letter from the Irrigation Department.

Irrigation officials claim they had been objecting to the proposals in their meetings with civic officials. The Irrigation Department had asked the municipal corporation to take remedial steps like strengthening and increasing the height of retaining walls along the river bed. Officials, however, found that the civic administration had not paid attention to their suggestions.

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An official from the department told The Indian Express that any obstacle, particularly roads and parking space, in the river bed was bound to increase the flood line during the monsoon. “The civic administration has already been neglecting our grievances against increasing constructions in the river bed.”

Irrigation officials say they have sent several letters to the civic administration, requesting the latter not to allow any construction and to take action against illegal constructions in the river bed. The officials feel that growth of constructions, including slums, in river bed in the areas like Vitthalwadi, Wadgao Dhairi and Hadapsar have reached an alarming level.

Officials maintain that unauthorised constructions, roads and parking lots is likely to change the flood line. According to them, new areas in the city are likely to be submerged if the floods come and, if this happens, the civic administration alone would be responsible.

Officials said the municipal corporation had not even marked flood lines at various places which too was not a good sign.

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Shriniwas Bonala, traffic manager of the municipal corporation, said he had not received any letter from the Irrigation Department about its objection. He said the fear of change in flood line was baseless since corporation would not elevate any portion of the river bed either for road or for parking lot.

The municipal corporation has planned to construct three parking lots in the river bed. While a plot of 12,000 square feet near Dengale bridge has been allotted for parking of private tourist buses, another plot in the river bed would be used for pay and park.

The first plot would accommodate 275 buses while the second plot would accommodate 584 cars and 2,200 two wheelers. The administration has also moved a proopsal to construct third parking lot in the river bed opposite the municipal corporation.

Two roads in the river bed – first from Mhatre bridge to Pulachi wadi and second from Lakdi bridge to Amruteshwar ghat are also in the progress.