Pune: Standing Committee of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) approved a tender worth ₹97.94 crore as part of the Urban Flood Risk Management scheme, for long-term flood prevention measures in Pune city. The move comes after the city administration came under intense criticism for failing to clean drains and neglecting stormwater drain pipelines maintenance.
This new plan by PMC combines fundamental changes and advanced technology to address the city's flood issues. The administrative delays caused by the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) due to Loksabha Elections have been resolved.
The first meeting post-elections, chaired by PMC Commissioner who is overseeing the city as administrator Dr. Rajendra Bhosale, got approval for the project proposal from the standing commitee. Patil Construction and Infrastructure Limited won the tender by bidding 16.21 per cent below the estimated cost.
The project will be rolled out in five phases. Initially, it will focus on installing stormwater drains, building concrete canals, enhancing groundwater levels, deepening existing nullahs, and digging trenches on hills for better rainwater absorption. An initial budget of ₹147 crore was outlined for these efforts.
Central government has floated an Urban Flood Risk Management scheme. This initiative, involving Pune and six other major cities, aims to allocate ₹2500 crore to combat urban flooding. Over the next five years, Pune is set to receive ₹250 crore from this budget. This funding will come from the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions.
The heavy pre-monsoon downpour had turned city roads in rivers with significant waterlogging in low-lying regions and parking basements. More than 55 tree felling incidents were reported in different parts of the city including Kothrud, Balewadi, Baner, etc.
Key initiatives:
Implementing flood prevention measures at 60 high-risk locations
Installing stormwater drainage pipelines with diameters of 600mm, 900mm, and 1000mm across the city
Drilling recharge bores at 1200 sites to boost groundwater levels
Deepening major city nullahs to mitigate flood risks
Excavating trenches on hills to improve rainwater absorption