In a major order that will likely impact development activities — including the Riverfront Development project alongside the Mula Mutha river — the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to constitute a committee of experts to undertake a time bound review to demarcate floodlines of the Mula Mutha river in Pune by considering studies of various organisations. Hearing a petition filed by environmentalist Sarang Yadvadkar, the bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar directed the state government to review demarcating floodlines of the Mula Mutha river. The bench said the experts committee should be formed within two weeks, which should consider and finalise a blueprint to undertake a comprehensive review to demarcate floodlines for the city of Pune within four weeks thereafter. The experts committee to be formed will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the state Department of Water Resources Development, which will formulate a plan to conduct a comprehensive review of the floodline demarcation. "This High Court order is interim and a final detailed order will come soon. This is a very significant order which will now bring restrictions on building constructions along the Mula Mutha river and the River Front Development project will have to be changed as all these activities are as per old flood lines. The concerned government bodies will not stop their work on their own but we would put pressure to stop all activities alongside river," Yadvadkar said. Meanwhile, PMC officials said they were yet to receive the court order and will give their stand after reading the judgement. As per the court, the committee will also prepare a blue print for conducting the review and should also determine the human resources to be deployed for the purpose. "Demarcation of flood line in an urban area or a city like Pune assumes importance for the simple reason that in case any development activity is permitted by the municipal body of such an urban area in the flood zone of any water channel like a river, the same results in reducing the flood carrying capacity of such a water channel, which, ultimately is the cause of flood. To ensure that the earth continues to remain habitable, it is thus very necessary to appropriately and correctly demarcate the flood line of water channels, failing which the inhabitants of the area may face problems beyond remedies," the court said. The court suggested that a comprehensive review of the floodline demarcation process is conducted taking into account the flow from the free catchment area, guidelines by Nashik-based Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) and Delhi-based The Energy and Resources Institut'se (TERI) climate change action plan. "Addressing these aspects would contribute to a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of flood risk in the area," it said. It was revealed that the flow from the free catchment area between Khadakwasla Dam and Mula-Mutha Confluence in 2011 has not been considered. It is suggested that this factor should be taken into account in the flood line marking process.
