PCMC shifts 3,000 residents, issues alert to those living along Pavana, Mula rivers

After heavy rainfall on Wednesday night, Pimpri-Chinchwad saw some housing societies getting water-logged on Thursday. People woke up to find water in their parking spaces and their vehicles submerged.

Singh said Khadakwasla dam is releasing 40,000 cusecs of water. “This will affect Mutha and Mula rivers as there is backpounding which results in Pavana overflowing,” he said.

Stating that they have already shifted 3,000 citizens to temporary shelters in 12 civic schools, the PCMC chief said people in low lying areas of Dapodi, Sangvi, Bhatnagar, Sanjay Gandhi Nagar slums, Kasarwadi and Phugewadi have already been told to shift to higher grounds or in shelters provided by the civic body. “We are providing food, blankets and medical aid to evacuees,” Singh said.

After heavy rainfall on Wednesday night, Pimpri-Chinchwad saw some housing societies getting water-logged on Thursday. People woke up to find water in their parking spaces and their vehicles submerged. Like every year, residents of PCMC Gharkul Project for low income groups in Chikhli were the worst affected.

Radhika Residency in Phugewadi was flooded with nullah water flowing from Bhosari CME area. Some housing societies in Sangvi, Wakad and Pimple Gurav were also affected by the swollen Pavana and Mula rivers.

“Sangvi was the worst hit as water had reached some societies up to the first floor. In Laxmi Nagar area of Pimple Gurav, access to a couple of societies was blocked due to flooded roads,” Joint Commissioner Chandrakant Indalkar told The Indian Express.

Several roads, squares, subways and under passes were water logged. Be it Bhumkar Chowk, the subway heading to Sai Chowk in Pimpri, the subway in Vallabhnagar, or roads in Nigdi, Ravet, Poonawale, Wakad, all of them were water-logged.

“I think except in the Bhosari area, most parts of the city were affected by the heavy rain,” Indalkar said.

Jayant Kariya, a resident of Radhika Residency in Phugewadi area, said, “Like it happens everytime, there was water in our parking space, which comes from the nullah behind our society located on Army land. When Pavana is swollen, the nullah does not get drained into it. As a result, it overshoots and floods our society.”

18 years ao, in one such flood, Kariya’s newly bought car worth Rs 12 lakh was submerged and completely damaged. “I got neither compensation nor any plan from PCMC to rid our society of this annual headache. Will PCMC ever wake up and solve the problem, once and for all?” he asked.

Sandeep Belsare, another resident, said, “There are 150 flats in Radhika Residency and 200 in Kunal Puram. Nearly 700 residents have to suffer the water-logging nightmare. We were worst affected in 2006 and 2019. The nullah located on Army land is the main culprit. When it is choked, it creates problems. Don’t know when a permanent solution will ever be found.” Former corporators Seema Savale and Asha Shendge visited the societies and expressed their support in resolving the long pending issue.

In the Gharkul project, like every monsoon, as many 60 housing societies were hit when sewage water from the civic sewage treatment plant entered their premises. “Several electric boards and equipment were damaged. Several vehicles of locals are underwater. We don’t know how many are damaged. This has been happening for the last 10 years. PCMC has failed to find a solution,” said local resident Ashok Magar.