Terming the multi-crore-rupee Mutha and Mula river restoration project of the Pune Municipal Corporation, under the Jawaharlal Nehru national urban renewal mission (JNNURM) as blatant commercialisation of the rivers, civic and social activists opposed the ongoing project once again.
On Sunday, in a meeting called by Sajag Nagrik Manch in Abasaheb Garware College, followed by a lecture on the pros and cons of the project, civic activists discussed the need and impact of the project if it were implemented.
According to the irrigation department, the maximum water discharge of water from Khadakwasla dam is 1.28 lakh cusec which, later added by various streams and flows in the city by 22,000 cusecs. But, according to the project the channelisation of the river will allow just 60,000 cusecs of water flow.
Activist Sarang Yedwadkar said, “When the city could not face release of 67,000 cusecs on September 3 this year, what will happen if a cloud burst takes place and the irrigation department releases more water into the river?”
He even pointed out that the project does not have the mandatory permission from the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and questioned many aspects of the project.
“The expert appraisal committee of the MoEF raised several doubts about the project and asked the PMC not to interfere with the natural flow. The ministry also stated that it was against the concept and felt that it was unlikely to improve the water flow,” he said.
When the detailed project report was sent to the irrigation department’s office in Nashik for scrutiny, it also raised doubts about the flood-line of 35 metres and the lack of mention of tributaries, Yedwadkar said.
Noting that the project included land used as an exhibition ground, play ground, circus ground and for slum rehabilitation projects, the activists decided not to allow such commercial use of the riverbed.
However, despite being invited for the discussion, additional city engineer Shrinivas Bonala and officer on special duty Vinay Deshpande decided to skip it. JNNURM officer, Sanjiv Ballal, attended, but hardly found satisfactory answers to the questions posed by the audience.
