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Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC gives 4 months to state to finalise Pune floodline
The Bombay high court has directed the state government and an expert committee to finalise decisions regarding Pune's floodline within four months. The court made it clear that the expert committee must submit its report within two months, following which the state government must act on the recommendations therein within the next two months. The PIL requested that no permission should be granted for DPs on land within 100 metre of the demarcated floodlines. (HT) The directive came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2021 by Pune-based civic activists Sarang Yadwadkar, Vivek Velankar and Vijay Kumbhar, raising concerns over the flawed floodline demarcations in the 2017 Development Plan (DP) of Pune city. The court had earlier instructed the state to form an expert committee chaired by the additional chief secretary of the Water Resources department, but the committee had neither convened nor submitted its report, prompting the petitioners to file an interim application. In the latest order passed on June 30, a division bench of justices Alok Aadhav and Sandeep Marne stated: 'The expert committee shall positively submit a report to the state government within a period of two months from June 30. The state government, on receipt of the report, shall take appropriate action on the recommendations of the expert committee within a further period of two months.' The bench also stated that once the expert committee submits its report, it will be open to the petitioners to make additional suggestions to the state government. Petitioners Yadwadkar and Kumbhar said the PIL sought replacement of the existing flood lines shown in the DP with more accurate ones based on scientific mapping. 'We have objected to the current floodlines and have demanded that no new construction permissions be granted within 100 metres of the existing floodline,' they said. The PIL requested that no permission should be granted for DPs on land within 100 metre of the demarcated floodlines, citing the risk of flooding due to poor planning and outdated hydrological assessments. The petitioners also alleged that despite an earlier court order, the expert committee did not make any effort to come up with a plan. Yadwadkar, who has been raising the issue for several years now, warned that the city faces serious risks of floods if the flood line demarcations are not corrected and enforced.
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bombay HC directs review of floodline of Mula-Mutha river in next two months
With no action to redraw the floodlines of Mula Mutha river in Pune despite court issuing directions for the same an year ago, the Bombay High Court has directed the court-appointed expert committee to review the existing demarcation of floodlines and submit a report to the state government within a period of two months so that it could take action as per the recommendations. Hearing a PIL by activists Sarang Yadwadkar, Vivek Velankar and Vijay Kumbhar, the bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne on Monday directed the expert committee to submit its report on review of demarcation of floodlines within the next two months. 'The state government, on receipt of the report, should take appropriate action on the recommendations of the expert committee within a further period of two months,' it said adding the petitioners can give their suggestions to the state government on the issue. In June last year, the high court had given an order that would have its impact on the development activities, including the Riverfront Development project, alongside Mula Mutha river. It had directed the state government to constitute an experts committee to undertake time bound review of demarcation of floodlines of Mula Mutha river in Pune by considering study of various organisations. The experts committee was to be formed within two weeks, which should have finalised the blueprint for undertaking comprehensive review of demarcation of floodlines in Pune within four weeks thereafter. The experts committee to be formed was headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the state department of Water Resources Development. However, the Bombay High Court did not accept the request of petitioners to revoke permission for development of lands within 100 metre distance of the current flood lines concerned. 'The petitioners have not prosecuted any person who has raised any construction within 100 meters distance of current flood lines demarcated in the Development Plan of 2017. Therefore, this court is unable to issue any positive direction. However, the Pune Municipal Corporation should examine the issue and shall take action in accordance with law after affording an opportunity of hearing to the persons, who may be aggrieved by the proposed action, which may be taken by the Pune Municipal Corporation after receipt of directions from the state government issued after consideration of expert committee report,' it said. In its previous order, the court had suggested that a comprehensive review of the flood line demarcation process be conducted, taking into account the flow from the free catchment area, Nashik based Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) guidelines, and Delhi based The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) climate change action plan. 'Addressing these aspects would contribute to a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of flood risk in the area,' it had said. It was revealed that the flow from the free catchment area between Khadakwasla dam and Mula-Mutha confluence in 2011 has not been considered. It was suggested that this factor should be taken into account in the flood line marking process. The petitioners have sought direction to Pune Municipal Corporation to replace the demarcation of flood lines in the 2017 Development Plan for Pune city and superimpose them with flood lines as demarcated in the maps dated March 5, 2011. Last year, the court had stated, 'Demarcation of flood lines in an urban area or a city like Pune assumes importance for the simple reason that in case, any development activity is permitted by the municipal body of such an urban area in the flood zone of any water channel like a river. The same results in reducing the flood carrying capacity of such a water channel, which, ultimately is the cause of flood. To ensure that the earth continues to remain habitable, it is thus very necessary to appropriately and correctly demarcate the flood line of water channels, failing which the inhabitants of the area may face problems beyond remedies.' Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
