Indian Express: Pune: Wednesday,
June 26, 2013.
Senior
officials may claim that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is keeping a
close watch on encroachments on the 23 river basins of the city, but the civic
body has failed to provide a list of such encroachments under the Right to
Information Act (RTI), 2005. Activist Anoop Awasthy, who had filed an RTI
application seeking a list of such encroachments on natural water courses in
the 23 river basin areas in Pune early this year, is yet to get a response.
Encroachments
along the natural water courses across the city has given rise to urban
flooding. In particular, areas like Kothrud, Baner, Bavdhan, Pashan and other
areas, lying at the foothills, have been witnessing an increase in such
activities. In 2009, flash floods in the Ramnadi, in Bavdhan and Devnadi in
Baner had caused havoc along the shores.
Awasthy, in
his application, had sought details of survey numbers along the rivers, the
building permissions given on those survey numbers, and the completion
certificates issued. Also, his application had sought details of encroachments
on the 23 river basins of the city. “My application was made in January and till
date I have not received any reply. Also, I had personally written a mail to
Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak, drawing his attention to the same, but he
has also not replied to me,” he said.
The river
basins in question were surveyed by a private company, which had mapped and
plotted the various water courses there. The contour maps of the basins
prepared by it were to be used as the base map for the nala improvement work to
be undertaken later. Additional City Engineer Vivek Kharwadkar said the survey
had pointed out the encroachments, but the official website of the PMC did not
have the report, though the survey maps had been put online.
Member of
Baner Area Sabha Anupam Saraph said the issue of encroachments along water
courses was being skirted by the PMC in order to safeguard the interests of
builders. “Encroachments in the form of boundary walls, constructions have come
up along the water bodies across the river basins. The survey conducted by the
private body found reduced length of the water courses in many areas,” he said.
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