Pune: Residents of Boat Club Road, North Main Road, and nearby housing societies have raised alarm over the unusual rise in Mula-Mutha river water levels following heavy rain. They claim the riverfront development (RFD) project has narrowed the river, causing flooding in low-lying areas and threatening homes.
“After just two to three days of continuous rain, the river between Sangamwadi and Mundhwa has swollen, submerging large parts of the RFD embankment,” said Roda Mehta, a Boat Club Road resident. “If this continues, water could soon enter housing societies. What worries us is that this has happened with only a few days of rainfall what will happen if the downpour lasts longer?”
Water entered several societies on August 19, damaging fences, gardens, and parking lots. The crematorium on Koregaon Park Road was also partially submerged on August 20, further intensifying concerns.
Residents accuse the civic body of ignoring repeated warnings. Satish Pradhan from Kalyaninagar said, “Every time water rises, the makeshift embankment collapses and is rebuilt after the water recedes. It’s a waste of public money. By reducing the width of the river, the RFD work has only made flooding worse.”
Growing frustration among residents
Liberty Housing Society residents on North Main Road said flooding, which used to occur only a couple of times each monsoon, now happens more frequently. “Earlier water would enter my garden two or three times during the season. Post-RFD, it’s happening six to seven times,” said Neelima Lavana.
Environmentalists had earlier warned about the impact of RFD on river ecology and flow. They say narrowing the river has left it unable to handle excess water from dam releases combined with heavy rain.
Experts call for ecological solutions
Shailaja Deshpande, founder of Jeevitnadi, said, “The embankments should have been built beyond the riverbanks, not inside them. To prevent urban flooding, PMC must create buffer zones, wetlands, and sponges to absorb overflow.”
Meanwhile, PMC officials say the problem will be resolved once construction is complete. Bipin Shinde, executive engineer for the RFD project, said, “Some stretches are still under work. Low-lying areas like the crematorium will be raised post-monsoon. For now, we are awaiting tree-felling permissions to continue.”