Pune: Widespread construction and haphazard development across the city have for long been steadily eroding the city’s natural or historic drainage systems, including nullahs, canals and small streams.Blocked or diverted to facilitate building work, these waterways now fail to effectively carry stormwater runoff to rivers. Many residents are then left grappling with consequences like flooding, and more. In July this year, outrage over major waterlogging in the Hinjewadi IT Park prompted authorities to lodge criminal complaints against landowners and builders for construction over nullahs. In May and June amid heavy rainfall, two deaths were reported near Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass and Navale Bridge, respectively, when debris-choked nullahs caused floodwaters to rise to dangerous levels. Such calamities caused by blocked streams abounded in the city over the last several years. Most recently, concerns caused by encroachment-threatened waterways have arisen in the Udaybaug and Sopanbaug neighbourhoods, mere metres away from each other. Ravindra Sinha, founder of the Bhujal Abhiyan, told TOI that Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has failed to demarcate no-construction zones around natural streams across city areas. He explained, “There needs to be a 9m no-construction zone from the edge of both banks. PMC had also appointed a private agency to conduct a survey of all streams in 2007, as per which they were to mark their width to note in the development plan (DP). However, the civic body ignored the findings and did not take measures as recommended. The current situation is due to a deliberate blind eye turned by the authorities and politicians, resulting in land grabs and reclaiming of banks by dumping debris, encroachments, illegal constructions and canalisation of natural streams.” ———————————Udaybaug: Blocked drains cause flooding, give residents sleepless nightsResidents of Hacienda society and nearby buildings in Udaybaug are on their toes each time rain lashes the city — all thanks to the concreting of drain lines next to their homes, ultimately blocking water flow to the local canal. According to the residents, monsoon flooding and sewage backflow have left them in constant misery. Residents told TOI that it all began in 2017, when a piece of land behind Hacienda society went up for sale. Area resident Malesh Narredu said, “By 2020, trees were cut on the plot, then construction and medical plastic waste were dumped to raise the level of the land. As far as we know, the builder at the time wanted to convert open rain drains running through this plot to an adjacent canal into concrete pipes. The builder sought permission from the irrigation department and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) drainage department for the same, but was refused multiple times,” “Yet, during the Covid lockdown, the open drains were gradually converted into a small pipeline. Residents were just given the excuse that ‘some PMC work is going on’,” alleged Narredu. In 2021, the irrigation department sent a letter to the landowner, informing him that a pipe connecting two chambers on the plot had broken and leaking water was entering societies next door, causing an increase of mosquitoes and snakes, besides raising a stench. The letter added that this could also cause flooding in the monsoon. The landowner was instructed to lay an RCC pipe to fix the drainage line. However, residents alleged that while PMC removed a portion of the concreting over the open drains in 2022, those were found covered again six months later. Narredu said, “All work done on this plot behind our society, whether it was concreting over open drains or digging a deep trench against my society wall to lay a pipeline, has resulted in blockage issues. Since 2022, whenever it rains, there is almost hip-high water in our society. My garage gets flooded and our backyard is submerged, too. Since the water has no place to go, it stagnates, providing space for mosquitoes to breed. It also stinks up the entire area. I have a four-month-old grandaughter and 85-year-old mother living with me. I am now worried about our whole family’s health.” His neighbour, Nadeem Shaikh, agreed, “It has become difficult to stay here because of the constant smell. We have complained to PMC’s drainage department and ward office, the irrigation department, police officials, and anyone we thought could help for three years. But smelly sewage continues to wreak havoc in our lives.” On Aug 22, 2025, PMC’s drainage department sent a letter to the building permissions department (Zone 5), reminding the latter’s officials of Narredu’s multiple complaints since 2022. The letter states that because of illegal dumping of construction debris, natural flow of rainwater has been blocked, causing a backflow mixed with sewage and endangering the lives of those residing here. The missive calls to attention the possibility of there being a catastrophic event in the future and requests immediate action. “On Sept 2 this year, PMC workers visited the site, trying to decongest the sewage pipes. However, it is a difficult task now, as the blockage has built up for many years, plus the drains have been concreted over,” Narredu said. When approached by TOI for comment, builder Gurjeet Sona blamed residents and PMC. He said, “Construction was halted on this plot two years ago by PMC, and drainage work was done three years ago. Most recently, bungalow no. 4 did some work and dumped waste in the plot behind, which probably caused choking during monsoon. Although it is not our job, we are using an excavator machine to clean it up. If we cannot find where the choke point is, we will also put a new line to provide an outlet for the water. This is supposed to be done by PMC. How is something we did years ago allegedly causing a choke-up now?”Official Says:We have no authority to reprimand the builder or landowner in this case. We will do what we can, which is write to the building permissions department to issue a notice to these parties and instruct them to take out dumped construction debris. If sewage lines have been broken here, we will tell the police to register a case against the culprit — Jagdish Khanore | Chief engineer, PMC drainage department ———————————Sopanbaug: Building work close to nullah sparks fear of consequencesEvery nook and cranny of the city is under construction — Kavade Mala in Ghorpadi is no exception. This area’s residents pointed out that there is a construction ongoing opposite Hermes Grand Stand society on AV Moodliar Road, extremely close to a nullah. Resident Umesh Kumar Agrawal claimed, “The distance from the nullah is not enough. Norms have not been considered while sanctioning this plan.” Vaishali Agarwal Kulkarni, another resident, said, “The construction site lies at the end of a bridge over the nullah. This bridge is already weak. Construction so close might cause it to collapse. It is the main connecting route for Sopanbaug and Cantonment areas and already sees a lot of traffic, and now heavy vehicle movement. Many also use it as an alternative route to reach Hadapsar. The new construction has eaten up a large portion of the carriageway. During peak hours, it is a nightmare to navigate this stretch.” Local resident Suresh Wadhwa filed an RTI application on July 25, requesting a copy of the commencement certificate given by PMC to the builder in 2023. Wadhwa said, “Around 15 years ago, another builder tried to construct in the same spot. Residents had protested then, too, resulting in halting of the project. Now, new builders have taken over. Current construction is going on at a rapid pace and it’s scary because rules are not being followed.” As per the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) of 2020, construction can be earmarked in a green belt area as shown on a DP after leaving 9m from a nullah, with certain stipulations.Residents claimed that the building is in violation of a rule that states that no construction can be carried out within 500m of a Grade-A defence establishment. “Such an establishment exists just opposite the nullah. The builder is supposed to take an NOC from the Army for this, which has not been done,” Agrawal told TOI. A senior officer from the Dakshin Maharashtra and Goa Sub Area, the Local Military Authority (LMA), confirmed that they have sent a notice to the realtor concerned and communicated to PMC on this issue in the recent past. “We have categorically pointed out the violation in our official correspondence to civic authorities. So far, we haven’t seen any steps taken on ground. We expect strict action, so that it also sends a stern message to others who have ventured into such constructions in restricted zones near defence establishments,” the officer said. “Civic building permission department officials are supposed to inspect a plot and verify rules defined by defence authorities before sanctioning a plan. We only come to know of violations after work has already started in most instances,” added the officer. Siddharth Dhoka, a director of RajRachana Associates, the builder for the project, told TOI, “Our project has all necessary permissions, duly sanctioned by PMC, and similar constructions exist on nullah banks. For nearly a year, some residents have been harassing us, even lodging police complaints, where we submitted all approvals. We have also replied to various authorities, including defence, confirming our compliance. Despite this, individuals with vested interests, at the behest of rival developers, are approaching NGOs and media with malafide intent to malign our project. Their actions are aimed at damaging our reputation, goodwill, and causing economic loss. We will take recourse to civil and criminal proceedings against these false allegations.”Sarang Yadwadkar, an environment expert, said, “A hydraulic survey in 2006-2007 by a consultant hired by PMC mapped width of every stream/nullah in civic limits. While preparing the DP, considering such a survey is crucial to understanding maximum flow of a stream. This is also how high-flood levels have to be marked. Unfortunately, PMC didn’t do this for nullahs. The Ambil Odha flooding of 2019 is an example of what happens when nullahs get flooded, causing severe inundation.” (With inputs from Sandip Dighe) Official Says:We visited the site and recommended to senior civic officials that a ‘stop-work’ notice be given to the builder to ensure that he fulfills all obligations. Once the order is passed, we shall notify the builder of the same. The builder will then have to fulfil whatever compliance is missing, before restarting work — Rajesh Bhutkar | Executive engineer, PMC building permissions department ———————————Expert SpeakThe flow of a nullah increases during monsoon and the wider the waterway, the less the spill. Constructions around nullahs not only increase risk of flooding, but cement also prevents seepage of water into the ground, eventually reducing groundwater levels in the area. The speed of any flowing water body is less when it is flowing through an open space. But the speed and pressure increases when pushed through restricted areas and can cause a spill, or upstream flooding or waterlogging, which is an urban issue. Another problem post-rain is that streams carry sewage in dry season, treated or untreated, and so become breeding grounds for disease vectors— Ajit Gokhale | Founder of water management company Natural Solutions ———————————
