Pune: Careless disposal of waste that remains uncleared for days has emerged as a major cause of waterlogging on key city roads during rain. A Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) audit of nearly 260 flood-prone spots revealed that garbage-choked stormwater chambers, missing drainage channels and narrow drains are the primary reasons for roads getting flooded after even a short and sharp rain spell.The detailed audit was triggered after April 2 turmoil, when a barely two-hour of intense rainfall brought the city to its knees, flooding roads, stranding commuters and exposing years of patchwork infrastructure. Opposition leaders did not mince words, calling the incident a “wake-up call” for the BJP-led civic body. They warned that unless pre-monsoon works were completed immediately, the city could be staring at a repeat of the nightmare in the coming months.The audit found that low-lying neighbourhoods turned into water traps, while poorly designed road stretches worsened the chaos by obstructing the natural flow of rainwater. Survey teams fanned out across all five PMC civic zones, documenting the reasons streets disappeared under water within short spell of intense rainfall. “At least 65 spots flooded due to choked drains, while over 100 spots lacked any proper stormwater channels at all,” the initial audit finding stated.Mayor Manjusha Nagpure convened an urgent meeting with civic officials, directing them to remove obstacles and unblock rainwater flow at vulnerable spots without delay.PMC officials admitted the problem runs deeper than initially believed. “After compiling zone-wise data, we found five to six different causes of waterlogging, with missing or inadequate stormwater lines and garbage accumulation topping the list,” an official said. While the administration claimed some locations had been fixed, many critical spots remained untouched.In a bid to contain the damage, PMC has decided to create temporary channels in areas where stormwater lines are absent, hoping to prevent water from stagnating. “Work is underway at more than 25 locations, either to strengthen existing drains or install new stormwater lines,” another official said.“The next two months are crucial,” the official said, calling the drainage network upgrade a race against time.But civic activists are far from convinced. Vikram Gaikwad, an activist from Narhe, slammed the administration’s figures and claims, saying, “Despite pouring huge funds into drainage works, waterlogging has not reduced. We refuse to believe there are only 250 waterlogging spots in Pune. There are many more. The civic staff must map each and every affected location, not hide behind statistics.”Additional municipal commissioner Omprakash Divte said cleaning of chambers and drains was currently on in two zones, with work in the remaining three zones scheduled to begin next week. “Areas like Shivajinagar, Karve Road, FC Road and JM Road have been tackled successfully,” Divte said, adding that weekly progress reports would keep pressure on teams.
