Mrudula Narale
Pune | May 17, 2025: As the monsoon is about to hit, the city is working at breakneck speed to clear its drains, but sloppy work by the contractors is countering these efforts. Mounds of silt and trash dumped close to manholes are washing into drains during rain, clogging the system and threatening floods. The municipal commissioner responded by issuing a strict mandate: contractors will not be paid if all the debris is not cleared properly and drains are not thoroughly cleaned. The crackdown is meant to prepare the city for the rainy season.
The pre-monsoon maintenance of stormwater drains, nalas, and drainage chambers normally begins from April and must be completed by May 31. The civic body failed to meet the deadline this time, however, and a number of projects now have a postponement until early June. Heavy rains earlier this week highlighted these lapses, as waterlogging affected areas such as Padmavati, Shankar Maharaj Math, KK Market, and sections of Camp. Citizens posted videos of water backflow, highlighting contractors’ inability to properly dispose of silt. Rains have also delayed work in progress, making deadlines more difficult to achieve.
Citizen data shows the magnitude of the job: the city has 53 major stormwater drains with a Rs. 54 crore cleaning budget and 15 box drains with Rs. 44 crore for maintenance.
The municipal commissioner stressed officers should implement strict monitoring, with contractors cleaning all garbage and silt off. Noncompliance will see payments withheld. The drainage department’s chief engineer confirmed that some delays had occurred due to recent rains, with silt getting repoured into drains. They, however, assured that work is ongoing in all wards under tight monitoring, and the hope is to greatly minimize flooding this year. The civic body acknowledges the discomfort to residents and is giving high priority to completion.
Civic activists have expressed dismay, accusing the civic body of repeated failure despite sufficient funding and weather predictions from the India Meteorological Department. They contend that crores are wasted every year, but the same problems—clogged drains, waterlogging, and incomplete work—recur. The wrath of the people is evident, with videos showing flooded roads trending, contrasting expenditure and outcomes.
The drainage system of the city is essential to avoiding monsoon mayhem, and the delays that have been witnessed serve to highlight the need for responsibility. By linking payments to performance, the civic body is giving out a loud message: there’s no scope for half-measures. While work goes on, citizens wait anxiously for quick action to ward off flooding and keep them safe during the monsoons.
Follow Us : https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BAcirn55Dt
Read : https://newsdotz.com/mango-madness-kids-gobble-up-fun-at-mnss-eat-the-mango-contest-in-pune/