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After coming under fire for chopping down trees in city for infrastructure projects, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has now come under the scanner for allowing construction within the Blue Flood Line zone of the Mutha river.
However, the PMC has denied any wrongdoing, saying the permission for construction was based on an irrigation department letter defining the Blue Flood Line.
In a letter dated May 8, the Khadakwasla Irrigation division wrote a letter to PMC saying that within the jurisdiction of PMC, “on both banks of Mutha River from NH-4 bypass to Rajaram Bridge, illegal structures are built on massive dumping inside Blue Flood Line on prohibitive zone. The water resources department has communicated many times to PMC to remove such structures.”
Around 25 people have taken up the issue with the PMC saying that they have found that “a real estate project has been built inside Blue Flood Line on Prohibitive Zone.”
They demanded that the PMC should immediately revoke the building permit issued to the structure as it is illegal. “Suspend all PMC officials who are involved in this building permission and initiate inquiry against them,” they said.
The group further demanded the PMC compensate the developer and the flat purchasers as they have invested their hard-earned money in the building.
The civic body should immediately constitute a committee to investigate if any such permission was given anywhere else within the PMC jurisdiction inside Blue Flood Line in the prohibitive zone, they said.
“The PMC should take all action that is legally required in the larger interest of the safety of citizens and environmental protection at the earliest,” they said.
The residents said that a building constructed on massive dumping inside the Blue Flood Line zone of the Mutha river also endangers the surrounding buildings that are constructed beyond Blue Flood Line.
They pointed out that the Development Plan road which provides access to this building has been directed to be removed by the National Green Tribunal, an order which was subsequently confirmed by the Supreme Court.
City engineer Prashant Waghmare said that the PMC has received two letters from the Irrigation Department defining the Blue Flood Line of Mutha river and it has now sought clarification from the Irrigation Department on them.
“The PMC has given permission on the construction of building based on the Irrigation department’s communication defining the Blue Flood Line of Mutha river,” he said.
