Pune: Fed up with annual flood misery and years of alleged official apathy, Ektanagari residents held a protest at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters in Shivajinagar on Thursday, demanding immediate action on long-pending civic issues, which they claimed were inundating their neighbourhood every monsoon.The angry protesters alleged that faulty stormwater management, damaged drainage lines, an incomplete retaining wall and unchecked debris dumping in the riverbed were turning monsoon rain into a recurring nightmare, despite repeated assurances from the civic administration.“We have been facing these issues for years now. Many elected members promised us relief, but have failed to deliver. Flood-related problems must be treated on priority,” a resident said during the protest. A delegation also met mayor Manjusha Nagpure and sought concrete solutions.The concerns follow the severe flooding during the 2024 monsoon, when water entered residential societies in low-lying parts of Ektanagari and Anandnagar along Sinhagad Road, and in areas of Warje and Shivane near the Mutha riverbank. Waist-high water stranded many residents in their homes. The residents said PMC’s claims of preventive measures did not result in visible on-ground improvements.Among the affected housing societies were Dwarka, Jalpoojan, Sharada Sarovar and Shyam Sundar cooperatives, Swami Vivekanand Society and Futura Society. Other flood-hit localities included Sadguru Society in Warje, Sarita Nagari off Sinhagad Road and several settlements along the riverbed.PMC officials said the civic body was pursuing a cluster development plan to rehabilitate residents from the flood-prone areas. “A proposal has been prepared to relocate 1,383 residential units and 67 commercial establishments situated within the blue flood zone,” an official said.A day before the protest, the PMC officials held an urgent review meeting to assess flood-preparedness measures. Discussions focused on maps of vulnerable zones, obstacles in the riverbed, impediments to water flow, the need for retaining walls and engineering interventions required to minimise future flood risks.Mayor Nagpure stressed the need for long-term solutions. “Every year, citizens in these areas suffer financial losses, property damage and mental distress due to floods. Changing this situation permanently is now the administration’s responsibility. All departments must work in coordination and urgently implement concrete, long-term measures so that residents are not forced to live under the threat of floods every year,” she said.
