Pune: Nighttime Water Release Catches Residents Off Guard, Demand Grows For Better Communication
Pune, 25th July 2024: Heavy rains over the past two days in Pune and the Dharan area have caused significant disruptions for residents, particularly along Sinhagad Road. In the early hours of the morning, an unexpected decision to release water from the dam led to widespread flooding in the area.
The decision to release water, made in the middle of the night due to rising water levels in the dam, resulted in rapid inundation of the settlements along the riverbed on Sinhagad Road. Residents were caught off guard as water surged into their homes, forcing many to abandon their belongings and seek higher ground in a frantic bid to save their lives.
Societies such as Jalvihar, Jalpujan, Ekta Nagari, Pooja Park, Pragati Park, Radhakrishna Vihar, Nimbaj Nagar, and River View experienced waist-deep water. Young residents struggled to assist senior citizens, with many expressing their frustration and anger towards the municipal administration for the lack of prior notice.
Jadhav Kaku, a local resident, voiced his discontent: “Water came after a long time. Due to the embankment wall, we haven’t faced this issue in recent years. We found out about the flooding only when water entered our home in the morning. An earlier notification could have helped us prepare.”
The Dharwatkar family echoed similar concerns: “The water release was sudden. There should have been instructions given before such a large volume of water was released. We couldn’t prepare in time, and now we face significant losses. Who will compensate for this?”
The situation continued for three to four hours, with firefighters struggling to reach the affected areas due to narrow roads and increased parking. Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed to Ektanagar for relief operations but were eventually called back due to the rising water levels.
Majusha Nagpure, ex-corporator, explained, “The discharge was initially only 9,000 cusecs, so no alert was sent out in the evening. However, upon receiving information at 3 a.m., I have been on-site to manage the situation.”
Former corporator Shrikant Jagtap criticized the lack of communication: “The municipal administration failed to notify citizens in advance. The sudden influx of water this morning could have been better managed with proper notification.”
As residents recover from the unexpected flood, there are growing calls for improved communication and preparedness to handle such emergencies more effectively in the future.
