Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol Holds Virtual Meeting to Address Pune’s Waterlogging Woes
Pune, 10th June 2024: Heavy rains often lead to significant water accumulation in certain areas, causing distress and inconvenience for Pune residents. To address this issue, newly elected Pune MP and Union Minister for State of Civil Aviation and Cooperation, Murlidhar Mohol, conducted a virtual meeting today with the Pune Municipal Commissioner and other officials from New Delhi.
During the meeting, various matters were discussed, including timely water drainage, maintaining emergency system readiness, implementing special measures for waterlogged areas, and identifying the root causes of water accumulation. Additionally, authorities were asked to devise temporary and long-term solutions and create an action plan.
Remedial works under the National Disaster Management have been proposed for flood-prone areas in Pune. Officials have been instructed to promptly approve these works through the Standing Committee and issue work orders immediately. An estimated Rs. 147 crores are required for these works and Mohol assured officials of his commitment to securing funds from the Central Government’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
Mohol has also secured a special fund of Rs. 200 crores from the Maharashtra State Government for flood control in Pune and reviewed the planning of related projects. Clear directives have been issued to prevent a recurrence of similar situations in the future. Concerns have been raised by citizens regarding unresponsive emergency management phone lines, prompting authorities to address this issue promptly.
The meeting was attended by PMC Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale, Additional Commissioner Ravindra Binwade, Prithviraj V.P., Srinivasa Kandul from the Electrical Department, Santosh Tandale from the Drainage Department, and Ganesh Sonune from the Disaster Management Cell.
Pune Collector Urges Urgent Measures
Pune District Collector Dr Suhas Diwase urged urgent measures amid heavy rains causing waterlogging. He stressed drain cleaning and removing unauthorized constructions near rivers. At a disaster management meeting, he discussed recent heavy rainfall with officials like Pune Zilla Parishad CEO Santosh Patil and Pune Rural SP Pankaj Deshmukh. Diwase emphasized micro-level planning to prevent road waterlogging and directed police to clear encroachments. He highlighted the danger of accidents due to unauthorized hoardings and called for their immediate removal, insisting on road safety measures during construction.
