Pune collector directs water planning till Aug 15, long-term strategy for 2027 amid El Niño concerns

Pune: District collector and chairperson of the Pune disaster management authority Jitendra Dudi on Friday stressed on meticulous water management planning in view of a likely impact of El Niño and below-normal rainfall, while instructing the public works department (PWD) to identify dangerous and highly vulnerable locations — including villages, bridges, roads and flood-prone areas — for monsoon preventive measures.On Friday, Dudi supervised a district-level pre-monsoon review meeting at the collectorate. He said the irrigation department had planned water availability till Aug 15, but must initiate advance planning to ensure supply for the Feb-May period in 2027. He referred to last year's dam discharge management and directed officials to maintain a similar coordination.Dudi ordered PWD to inform citizens about alternative routes for roads that may be shut during the monsoon and ensure that emergency equipment — such as bulldozers, water tankers, dumpers, earthmovers, dewatering pumps, generators, tree cutters, flood lights and RCC cutters — are in working condition. "A detailed report will by submitted by next week," Dudi told TOI. He further said all pre-monsoon works must be completed on time with close coordination among departments concerned.The irrigation department has also been instructed to remove encroachments and debris from rivers, canals and nullahs to ensure uninterrupted natural water flow. It has been tasked with conducting dam safety reviews, inspecting dam structures and canal networks. The action-taken report based on last year's inspections is to be submitted by April-end.Meanwhile, the meeting was attended by zilla parishad additional CEO Chandrakant Waghmare, resident deputy collector Jyoti Kadam, district disaster management officer Vitthal Banote, along with officials from departments including PWD, irrigation, agriculture, health as also Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, municipal councils, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police commissionerates, Pune Rural police, PMRDA, the state power utility, RTO, the NDRF and the IMD, besides sub-divisional officers and tehsildars.Urban local bodies, municipal councils and nagar panchayats have been directed to inspect dangerous buildings and relocate residents to safer places. They have also been told to remove unauthorised hoardings within a month.The administration said tourist destinations would not be closed during the monsoon. However, departments such as police, forest, tourism and archaeology have been told to regulate visitor inflow and deploy adequate manpower for safety.The health department has been instructed to prepare for emergencies by ensuring readiness of taluka-level hospitals, beds, medical officers, ambulances, blood banks and sufficient stock of medicines, along with preventive measures and awareness regarding communicable diseases.All departments have been told to update disaster management plans from district to village level and ensure dissemination among citizens. Sub-divisional officers will conduct taluka-level review meetings, while emergency response systems must be kept ready in coordination across departments, particularly for flood-prone villages.Special focus has been laid on landslide-prone areas in Bhor, Khed and Ambegaon subdivisions, where authorities have been directed to plan evacuations, train disaster response volunteers, ensure availability of equipment and conduct mock drills. Officials from all departments presented details of their pre-monsoon preparedness at the meeting.