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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pune citizens approach Jal Shakti minister again, raise RFD concerns
For the second time in four months, citizen groups of Pune took their concerns about the Riverfront Development Project (RFD) directly to the Minister of Jal Shakti CR Patil on June 17. 'We have sent him letters twice and I went and met him in Delhi,' said Medha Kulkarni, a BJP MP who has been raising her voice against the the processes being followed in the RFD, including riverbeds shrinking, dumping of debris and tree felling. On Tuesday, members of the Pune River Revival, which works for the rights of the city's rivers, visited the minister, who was visiting the Central Water and Power Research Station. 'We have raised citizens' grievances and concerns, such as increased flood risk, environmental degradation and river pollution due to the RFD project along with our suggestion for improvement. We are, further, bringing to your urgent attention a series of serious grievances raised by citizens and experts related to environment safety, citizen safety and civic issues arising from the RFD that is, currently, being implemented by the PMC and PCMC,' said the letters. Sewage worries The letter pointed out that 'heavy pollution of the river will not be controlled just by increasing the number of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and downstream management'. This issue brought the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) programme to the fore, whose objective was to 'improve the water quality in the Mula, Mutha and Mula-Mutha rivers by augmenting sewage collection systems and sewage treatment facilities in PMC area. It also includes taking other measures required for the pollution abatement and thereby improving the sanitation and living conditions of people who reside in Pune City and in the watershed of the downstream area'. 'We have been trying to draw their attention to the issue that just having a number of STPs, even if these get completed as per their commitments till 2026, is not going to reduce the pollution in the rivers because the multiple streams that are meeting the river are completely not addressed. The direct outfalls that are releasing the sewage will continue to do so. There is also a major component of groundwater contamination that has not been taken into consideration in the river rejuvenation,' said Shailaja Deshpande, one of the signatories of the letter. She added that groundwater contamination from microplastics and other emerging pollutants, such as pthalates, are not highlighted even by PCBs. 'River rejuvenation means stopping pollution at source and not treating after it enters waterbodies,' said Deshpande. Another signatory, Priyadarshini Karve, said, 'We have been highlighting a point for quite some time that the whole project is based on the assumption that 100 per cent of sewage is going to be treated and there will only be clean water in the river channel. Several calculations, however, have shown that there is no way that, just by completing the STPs under JICA, all the sewage will be treated as the city has expanded and the amount of sewage has increased.' According to the letter given to the minister, citizens feel the solution involves 'upstream management and reducing pollution at the source'. 'Maintaining the natural filtration service by conserving riparian zones is of utmost necessity,' read the letter. Encroachment, wildlife threats The letter points out that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board sent notices to PMC, PCMC and the Irrigation Department, citing issues like interference with the natural flow of the river as well as encroachment. Point number 3 is that the project violated the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Aditya Paranjape, honourable wildlife warden, Pune District, had urged the PCMC Commissioner to halt the work and restore habitats. IISER Pune too raised concerns about the RFD, while the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute had released findings about long-term safety concerns about the RFD. In the letter, the citizens urged that PMC and PCMC suspend all work on the RFD, revisit the plan and try to balance urban development and environmental conservation, and restore riparian zones and natural habitats to check river pollution. 'This is a collective demand for sustainable and ecologically sensitive urban development, which is safe, participatory and supports the local community. Pune's rivers are not just waterbodies but also living ecosystems and cultural lifelines,' the letter said.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
‘We have found some flaws': Why IISER scientists are red-flagging RFD
On Monday, as monsoon arrived early in Pune, IISER was among the areas to be lashed by heavy rains. Dr Argha Banerjee, associate professor and deputy chair, Earth and Climate Science, at IISER, says hundreds of papers have been written all over the world that climate change is going to change the precipitation patterns and increase extreme events. 'It is the kind of situation that initiatives, such as the Riverfront Development (RFD), should be designed for,' he says. A few weeks ago, Banerjee, Radhika Mulay and Tresa Mary Thomas, who are with the Earth and Climate Science department and the Center for Water Research at IISER Pune, released a paper, titled 'A brief review of the Hydrology and Hydraulics report for the Mula-Mutha Riverfront Development Project'. It summarises that climate change effects were not considered, flood levels were underestimated and world-class scientific expertise present in city institutes must be utilised. Among the warnings from the report is that 'while the precise increase in the flood levels and flood frequency at the scale of the city are challenging to predict, it is imperative to consider significantly higher design floods … and ensure the city's flood resilience. The RFD report fails to address these critical concerns, and may not prepare the city for the unexpectedly high flood levels due to climate change. This can be remedied by extensive consultation with the world-class experts in climate and hydrology in institutes like IMD, IITM, IISER Pune, etc. that are present in the city'. 'Since we have a general interest in water and the RFD was going on right in front of us, we decided to have a look at the Detailed Project Report of the RFD: Annexure 2 – Hydrology and Hydraulics. We looked at the report from the basic science perspective. We did not run any of their simulations or redo the calculations. We just checked the basic science of it and from that perspective, already, we have found some flaws that we have highlighted in our report,' says Mulay. One of the main factors pointed out is that 'there is very little data analysis'. 'Though Pune is home to the IMD and there are a few stations in the region, it is still a very complex terrain. The IMD data is not always good enough as precipitation varies a lot over a short distance. This tells us that we have to be careful and that care is missing in case of the RFD. We have pointed this out. We don't really have a solution but we can say that the data that exists was not looked into carefully,' says Banerjee. The report emphasises that the RFD design team did not use their own estimates and, instead, relied on the estimates from the Irrigation Department, Pune. 'A recent Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute report came up with significantly higher flood discharge estimates than those suggested by the Irrigation Department. The extreme monsoonal rain can lead to floods, when the river levels and the storage in dams are already high. This was not considered in the RFD estimates of flood levels. It may be prudent to consider the combined effects of the average monsoon discharge and the discharge due to the extreme rainfall. In addition, a strong gradient in the rainfall from the Western Ghats to Pune, together with the sparse network of hydrometeorological stations in this catchment, makes all the above flood estimates inherently uncertain,' says the report. The report also states that the RFD plans to replace 240 hectares of greenery, 'largely with concrete without any serious evaluation of the carbon footprint associated with the infrastructure development'. 'It is unclear if the damage to the ecosystem during the construction phase has been assessed. Additionally, the Environmental Impact Assessment report should be independently reviewed by scientists and experts in the city working in the relevant fields,' it states.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Mula has heart disease, but is being treated by dentist: India's waterman on Riverfront Development Project
It was a coincidence that water conservationist Rajendra Singh, who is based in Rajasthan, was in Pune around the time that PCMC demolished entire bungalows in Chikhali because these were built on the blue floodline of the Indrayani river. In 2016, he carried out a day-long fast to support citizens and experts in the city who were demanding that PCMC halt constructions in the blue flood line of the Indrayani River. 'The municipality ignored these demands at the time. Recently, a court ordered the demolition of constructions within the Indrayani River's blue flood line by May 31. Timely attention to the demands to save the Indrayani river could have prevented this situation,' he said. 'I expect that similar demolitions will, eventually, take place on the Mula banks as well,' Singh added. 'This is not the development of a river but the killing of a river. The Mula river is suffering from a heart disease but is being treated by a beauty parlour and a dentist,' said Singh after he visited the Mula river, the site of the Riverfront Development, on Sunday. Singh, who won the Ramon Magsaysay award in 2001 and the Stockholm Water Prize, said to be the water conservation Nobel Prize, is known as the Waterman of India. Singh was visiting Pune after a year. 'I was sad to see that soil had been filled 75 ft into the blue zone on the PCMC side. If this happens on the PMC side as well, the entire river will die. This will increase the risk of flooding,' he said. Singh said that the term 'river rejuvenation' had been coined more than 50 years ago when he, as a 14-year-old had begun to work on revitalising dried and dead rivers. 'The way I did it was by using rainwater and small dams to recharge the aquifers and, thus, raise water levels of the rivers. We managed to revive 23 rivers. For this, more than 12 lakh young people, including more than 6,000 dacoits of the Chambal region, worked with us. Today, the river is still flowing and many dacoits have substituted their guns for agricultural equipment and turned into farmers,' he said. Singh said there was dire need to rejuvenate the rivers of Pune, beginning with cleaning the water, addressing the problem of drains that discharge pollutants in the river, tackling encroachments and preventing extraction. 'I estimate that, if the RFD work continues, PMC and PCMC areas will see heavy flooding and destruction. Then, perhaps, we will return to the correct definition of river rejuvenation,' he said. The conservationist is appealing to people to protect the river. 'This is not a fight against any neta or officer. A river stands for people's lives, cultures, civilisation and the people of Pune should save the rivers that flow through the city,' he said. Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Over 2,500 more illegal structures in blue line; PCMC vows to continue action
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will soon begin action against 2,534 illegal structures located within the blue flood line zones. These were identified during a survey conducted last year, and the demolition drive will be carried out in phases, officials said. Of the 2,534 identified structures, 1,392 are residential, 1,118 commercial, and 24 include tin sheds and under-construction buildings. These are located within the flood-prone blue line zones of the Pavana, Indrayani, and Mula rivers. Shekhar Singh, PCMC municipal commissioner, said, 'The drive will be undertaken in a phased manner. Demolition of buildings within the blue flood line of the Pavana, Mula, and Indrayani rivers will begin soon to prevent potential loss of life and property.' Flood lines are demarcated by the irrigation department based on flood risk assessments, and any construction activity within these zones is prohibited. Raju Savle, a civic activist, criticised the planned action, alleging double standards by the PCMC. 'The civic body itself has carried out construction in blue line zones for various projects. When citizens do the same, it is labelled illegal. Many of these constructions were previously approved by the PCMC,' he said. Savle pointed specifically to PCMC's River Front Development (RFD) work being carried out within the blue line. Last September, PCMC initiated a similar demolition drive, razing 27 structures spread across 37,900 sq ft in the blue line zones of the three rivers. Notices were issued to owners of 1,092 structures. However, following political pressure and persistent heavy rains, the action was temporarily halted.
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘This is just a beginning': As PCMC stays RFD work in Pimple Nilakh, green groups galvanised to continue protests
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has put a stay on a 400–metre River Front Development (RFD) project in Pimple Nilakh area which falls within its jurisdiction. The PCMC has undertaken the project from Wakad bypass to Sangvi bridge. Sanjay Kulkarni, Chief Engineer of PCMC and head of the civic environmental department, has said that the pause was temporary, to carry out redesigning work on the project, which will take about a week. 'We have asked the firm involved, B G Shirke Constructions Technology Pvt Ltd, to stop the work for now on a 400 metre stretch in Pimple Nilakh area. This is being done with the objective of redesigning the project on this stretch. At the time of execution, as per the site condition, we revise the design. As per the revised drawings, we will execute the project,' he said. Kulkarni said the irrigation department has asked the civic body to redesign the stretch work following protests from citizens and environmentalists. Work on the remaining nine km will continue. The RFD aims to beautify a 44 km river stretch of Mula and Mutha rivers that flow through the city. It has become a cause of protests by citizen groups who point out the threats to biodiversity and the dangers of concretisation, which include urban flooding, among others. The protests culminated in a civil society march, 'Nadi Sathi Nadi Kathi' to the Dada Ghat Shamshan Bhumi in April. It is this site where the work has been stayed at present. Citizen groups, suspecting that the RFD was motivated by commercial interests, have been knocking on almost every door and have even met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to ensure that the civic bodies concentrate on cleaning the river and following a scientific process in developing the riverfront. On May 1, Delhi-based politician Maneka Gandhi had spoken to Shekhar Singh, the PCMC chief, and asked him to send a team with Aditya Paranjape, the Hon Wildlife Warden, to 'see what is happening'. On Friday, Gandhi welcomed the news of the stay on the RFD on the 400 m stretch. 'Rivers are more important than anything else and river ecology is the most important,' she said. The stay on the project has come as an encouragement for citizen groups. Dhananjay Shedbale, who had been a part of the group that had sat in hunger strike before the PCMC office against the RFD, said, 'The latest development of ceasing the work is the result of the protest movement that has been going on for two months. Our demand is 'clean water, clean river' and not concretisation. We reached out to the masses and to the decision makers and went up to the Chief Minister.' Shedbale added that 'this is just a beginning'. 'I am hopeful that the authorities will realize that this project, called river rejuvenation, is really a river-killing project. The focus should not be on construction but the constructive work of rejuvenation, i.e making the water clean from the origin till the confluence. Only then, will rivers flow and the river ecosystem will flourish. It will help the city and the purpose will be served,' said Shedbale. It is evident that Pune will see more protests to drive the point about improving the river in the next few months, and not only on the PCMC side. 'At present, work has been stayed only at Pimple Nilakh, which is a temporary and unpredictable response. They probably mentioned only Pimple Nilakh because, here, they have already violated an old NGT order. Citizens intend to continue the struggle until all encroachments in all riverbeds and on all riverbanks are removed,' said Shailaja Deshpande, among the most respected and vocal senior members of environment-conscious citizen groups. Deshpande reiterated that, though ceasing of the work near Pimple Nilakh, is a positive response from authorities, it can be said to be very little and temporary. 'It has taken huge efforts by citizens to consistently follow up with all government authorities, conduct awareness campaigns and hold umpteen meetings with different political leaders and ministries. Citizens have gone to Delhi and Mumbai and have banged on all possible closed doors. Our request is to remove dumping in the riverbed from Wakad to Sangvi. Both PMC and PCMC must consider citizens' demands and modify their existing unscientific and damaging design,' added Deshpande. The demand of citizens is not confined to only Mula near Wakad to Sangvi but for all rivers- Mula, Mutha, Mula-Mutha, Pawana and Indrayani. 'Citizen groups are against the way the project is being implemented. We want the conditions of the rivers to be improved. Reviving river projects is required but not the way they are being implemented currently,' added Deshpande.
