PMC ignores illegal debris inside riverbed

It has no longer been very long because the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had rapped the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) just last yr, issuing a strict three-month deadline to take away illegally dumped debris from the Mutha riverbed close to Vitthalwadi, Sinhagad Road. Failing this, the environmental impact value used to be to be recovered from the salaries of PMC highway department officers, the bench had decreed. Shaken, the corporation went directly to spend a whopping Rs three crore at the elimination of highway debris on the mentioned spot, all from taxpayers’ cash. However, apparently that the native frame has learnt no courses from this unseemly episode.

Now, in any other surprising revelation in this vein, unknown cars had been sighted dumping tonnes of debris within the Mula-Mutha riverbed close to Sangamwadi Road over the last 15 days. This nefarious process has been going down most effective under the duvet of night, and it is reportedly being executed to allegedly create parking slots within the riverbed for personal buses.

The massive quantity of dumping has no longer most effective reduced the basin of Mula and Mutha rivers’ holy confluence, but also created a flood threat to nearby spaces within the forthcoming wet season — the slums at Patil Estate and Tadiwala Road are especially likely to face critical havoc.

A ground of over six acres has already been created parallel to Sangamwadi Road, while this route’s width has additionally been increased towards the river, seemingly in a bid to create parking areas for buses. The adjacent lands belong to a couple of personal farmers, however the dumping is obviously going down proper within the river flood line — the debris will also be spotted as much as 50 metres within the river. Further, a slip highway has been created for excavation machines and packing containers to achieve within the river.

According to the calculations of assets, a minimum of 100-150 tonnes of debris are getting dumped each day under this unauthorised caper, including waste like used concrete, bricks, cement plaster and iron.

In probably the most ironic twist, it emerges that the state water resources department has already knowledgeable the PMC high command about this dumping —however the latter has failed to pay any heed to this travesty.

Mirror additionally mentioned the problem with deputy mayor Siddharth Dhende, who had raised a an identical grievance early last yr, at a spot no longer 20 metres from the newest dumping site. He asserted, “I've additionally brought this contemporary dumping to the awareness of the municipal commissioner, however in vain. The reason is plain — PMC officers are concerned in this rip-off. So a ways, a sprawling ground has been created within the river to deal with over 200 buses. There is a huge nexus between civic officials, personal land mafia and bus operators. This drawback has been raised with PMC in greater public passion — it is severe and must be addressed soon.”

Dhende further alleged, “I in truth have my doubts that this debris is coming from Pune Metro construction paintings and being used to fill the river. The matter must be probed. If PMC fails to behave in any way over this illegal exercise, I can be submitting a petition with the NGT.” He reiterated that last yr, too, within the incident he had helped deliver to the fore, debris used to be being dumped within the river within the title of the construction of a wall. “PMC officials had stopped this after it used to be delivered to their notice,” Dhende knowledgeable.

The irrigation department, which has observed those unexplained exploits, is apparent that it is PMC which needs to do so. Water resources department government engineer Pandurang Shelar told Mirror, “We have additionally noticed this rampant violation and sent a notice in this regard to the PMC commissioner per week in the past. But, there was no response. As the stretch of river falls under PMC limits, it is the civic frame’s duty to behave against this type of encroachment. The land where the dumping is going down comes under the flood line. We are issuing a contemporary notice with a warning to PMC.”

Repeated calls and messages by Mirror to municipal chief Saurabh Rao went unanswered.

But when wondered, PMC Ghole Road-Shivajinagar ward place of business’s assistant commissioner, Kishori Shinde, mentioned, “We will act in contrast illegal dumping. We have knowledgeable the development permissions department to issue notices for the elimination of the debris. I can for my part pay a discuss with to the spot on Monday to test on ground realities.”

Elaborating at the unfortunate impacts of what has already taken position, environmental activist Shailendra Patel mentioned, “This is certainly unfortunate. Unscientific dumping of debris within the riverbed has been going on for years now. It has brought about immense degradation of water our bodies already. Most of the time, debris is dumped in rivers and nullahs and obstructs water float. PMC’s environment standing file had additionally raised this alarm in 2018, bringing up the many troubles brought about by illegal disposal of rubble.”