Pune: Water overflowed from the ‘Baby Canal’ passing through Manjari around 7.30pm on Tuesday and entered homes in the Gopalpatti vasti, throwing residents into a disarray. Long-standing blockage of the canal’s natural flow by garbage and hyacinth has been identified as the reason behind the sudden waterlogging incident, with residents and local corporators now demanding that the civic administration take urgent measures to clean the waterway and prevent such flooding emergencies.The Baby Canal carries water from the Mundhwa jackwell to rural areas for use, flowing through the Hadapsar and Manjari areas.On Tuesday, when the irrigation department released water into the canal, it failed to flow ahead smoothly due to blockages and entered at least 25 houses of the nearby locality. As the water began overflowing from the canal, the release was stopped almost immediately.Officials from the irrigation department said their teams are ascertaining more details of the incident, but prima facie the hyacinth and garbage blockages seem to be the reason. As an immediate measure, the irrigation department and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have taken up a cleaning drive to clear obstacles from the canal, an irrigation official said, adding that the department is preparing a panchanama of the incident.Multiple residents from Manjari and Hadapsar who TOI spoke to said that two main canals that flow to rural areas through their neighbourhoods have become dumping hotspots. Despite repeated follow-ups, the irrigation department and PMC have not been able to clean these waterways for over two years.Manjari-Sadesatra Nali corporator Ajit Ghule said Tuesday’s incident displays total civic apathy towards cleaning of canals and nullahs, leading to hardships for citizens. “We want PMC to prepare a detailed panchanama of the incident and provide compensation to those who were affected due to overflowing water from the canal. Residents have been facing a lot of problems owing to uncleaned canals.”He further said, “Residents have warned of an agitation if the issues are not resolved.”Officials from PMC’s Hadapsar ward office said it is the irrigation department’s responsibility to carry out regular maintenance and cleaning of canals. An official said, “The civic administration is ready to offer all necessary support, but the irrigation department should prepare a detailed plan for the upkeep of the Baby Canal to prevent such incidents.”
