20 July,2011 07:17 AM IST | | Vivek Sabnis
Officials release water from Khadakvasla reservoir allegedly without issuing warning, leaving car owners and commuters out on a limb
The 3-km stretch from Gymkhana to Singhabad Road, running along Mutha River, got flooded yesterday after the irrigation department allegedly released an excess of 19,000 cusec water from the Khadakvasla dam.
According to commuters, they were caught unawares as the irrigation department released water from the reservoir without informing the common people.
Stranded: People try to pull out a car from the flooded road along
Mutha river yesterday. Pic/Krunal Gosavi
The irrigation department, however, refuted the claim. The officials said they had issued an alert yesterday morning. They also justified the move as the dam got filled to the brim following incessant rain for the past two days. So it was necessary to release the water to save the dam. Most cars parked near the PMC's river basin parking were in knee-deep water thoughout the day and around 20 of them developed snags. The car owners had to hire the services of amateur swimmers who charged Rs 2,000 to pull out cars from the water.
Businessman M B Bafana, whose car also developed a snag because of flooding in the area, said, "The irrigation department never issued an alert to the common people before releasing water from the dam. Had I known about it, I would have parked my vehicle elsewhere," Bafna said.
But the head of PMC's Disaster Management Cell, Ganesh Sonawane, refuted Bafna's claim. "The Khadakwasala Dam water release schedule was declared on Tuesday morning. We alerted all the 14 ward offices," he said.
But the motorists were hardly convinced. Gayatri Kulkarni, who came from Kharadi to Pune for shopping and parked her vehicle along the stretch, said, "The PMC is telling a lie, I parked my car at 2 in the noon, but no body warned about the possible flood-like situation."
Avinash Surve, Superintending Engineer, Irrigation Pune, said that rainfall has added extra water in the dam. "We shall release not more than 35,000 cusec of water during monsoon as it may create flood like situation in the city."
Power failure
Sahakarnagar was the worst-affected area in the city as there was no power supply for 16 hours on Monday. The situation, however, improved yesterday. Anil Jadhav, the local PMC Corporator, said, "We shall agitate in front of MSEDCL if the situation does not improve. The traffic signals at Tilak Road, Laxmi Road and Karve Road also developed snag because incessant rain for the past two days."
The traffic flow was slow at Swargate junction because of the heavy showers that created potholes on the road. Vivek Kharwadkar, Additional City Engineer (Roads), PMC, ruled out the charges. He said, "The conditions of city roads are satisfactory." He added, "Certain roads are in bad shape as the monsoon is in full swing. As soon as it stops pouring, we shall start repairing work on a war-footing. Fourteen different teams have been formed for the same."
Weather update
Till 2.30 am yesterday, the city witnessed maximum rainfall of the monsoonu00a0-- 23 mm, said Dr Megha Khole, Director, Weather IMD, Pune. "Frequent spells of heavy rainfall shall continue for the next two days. IMD has recorded 20.2 mm rainfall yesterday," she added.
