15 July,2010 10:00 AM IST | | Vivek Sabnis
Choked drains result in puddles of stagnant water on Karve Road, a serious health hazard; open storm water drains are a danger to passers-by
On Day Three of the MiD DAY campaign to identify monsoon-related problems and fix them in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Nal Stop on Karve Road, a spot that witnesses heavy traffic, was surveyed. The spot has been identified as having the highest air-pollution levels in the city because of vehicular smoke.
Now in the monsoon, water-logging adds tou00a0 commuters' problems.
Two big problem spots and one comparatively small problem spot were identified by our team. There are no parallel roads to Karve Road, which connects to Kothrud, Paud Road and Warje suburban townships.
PMC's assistant engineer Mustaq Shaikh, junior engineers Vinod Sonar, D N Jagtap, Sudhir Alurkar and local BJP corporator Medha Kulkarni were with MiD DAY to take a look at the problem areas and find a solution.
Survey results and proposed solutions
Problem: Storm water always stagnates at this point as it is low-lying. If there is continuous rainfall for two hours, the whole corner gets water-logged and water starts reaching the entrance of the nearby shops. There are three storm water drains in the vicinity. Two of them are damaged as the drain covers are broken. The third drain is at a higher level than the road, and water cannot drain out from there as well.
PMC's promise: Shaikh promised to get the broken storm water chambers covered and also get channels made to ease out accumulated water into the drains. "We are putting tar on the undulations (potholes) on this spot," he said. "Replacing of the chambers will take time as we have to place fresh orders for strong iron manhole covers," said Sudhir Alurkar.
Problem: The corner of the road is a low-lying area that causes accumulation of storm water. The storm water drains are not in good condition either. Garbage and plastic bags clog the drain preventing water flow into the drain. "There is no control on people throwing garbage on the roads and that causes the problem," said Vishwas Nagarkar, a senior citizen from the area. He pointed out two potholes that add to the problem.
PMC's promise: Alurkar promised to start grouting work for potholes and levelling them with tar. The storm water chambers will also be cleaned. "Replacing the covers of storm water drains will take eight to 10 days, but for the work we have to place fresh orders," he said.u00a0
Problem: Dirty stinking water accumulates near the urinal during all seasons of the year, and because of stagnant water, mosquitoes breed and create an unhealthy environment. There have been many complaints from the people from the nearby residential colonies and hotels. "Every rains this place becomes a small stagnant pond," said Ramesh Shinde, an employee of a grocery shop.
PMC's promise: Levelling the area with tar and getting it to the road level that will stop water accumulation. "We are also repairing the overflowing drains on top priority. Our idea is to start the work as soon as possible," said Shaikh.u00a0u00a0
