PCMC’s monsoon readiness questioned after waterlogging in Punawale underpass

Pune: Residents have flagged gaps in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)'s monsoon preparedness and said the heavy rain over the last two days exposed recurring civic issues in several areas.In Punawale, commuters faced inconvenience after the underpass used to cross the Pune-Bengaluru highway was flooded, forcing people to take detours. Nilesh Patil, a resident, said, "The problem is persisting since last year. Authorities had assured that the issue would be resolved after widening of the service road and laying of new stormwater drainage lines. However, the work is still incomplete and the problems will flare up again this monsoon."Those staying in other areas have expressed similar fears. Nitin Yadav of Wakad said multiple underpasses were affected in the recent rain, indicating that drainage lines are yet to be adequately cleared. "There was heavy congestion on several roads, especially in areas where underpasses were shut," he said.The India Meteorological Department said Chinchwad received 28.55 mm of rainfall on Thursday. The fire brigade recorded 17 tree-fall incidents and one retaining wall collapse during the day, though no injuries or casualties were reported. Civic officials said there were no major cases of waterlogging in the city.A senior PCMC official said pre-monsoon works are still in progress, with nullah cleaning yet to be completed. "The municipal commissioner reviewed the preparedness recently. He has directed action against illegal constructions obstructing nullahs. Officials have also been told to expedite ongoing works," he said.Civic officials said Pimpri Chinchwad has 145 nullahs, spanning nearly 94,913 metres. Over 20% of the cleaning work has been completed, so far, while it continues on the remaining stretches.