Illegal dumping in Mula-Ramnadi provokes outrage

Illegal and unethical debris dumping in the Mula-Ramnadi has provoked widespread public outrage, with residents and activists accusing local authorities of violating court orders and jeopardising public safety.

- Ankit Shukla

The dumping, allegedly carried out by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), is said to be in contempt of a Bombay High Court directive requiring the scientific re-identification of the city's flood lines.

Angad Patwardhan, a resident of Aundh, told The Free Press Journal (FPJ), "The current red and blue floodlines for Pune's rivers had been drawn arbitrarily, because of which we see many types of constructions in danger zones. In its order on June 26, 2024, the Bombay High Court directed Maharashtra's Water Resources Department to scientifically re-identify floodlines for all rivers of Pune.”

“But even after six months, there is no action from the state on this urgent matter. On the contrary, PMC and PCMC are dumping concrete & debris into the existing riverbeds,” he alleged.