Pune: PMC Tests Flood Barriers At Ekta Nagari To Prevent Recurring Waterlogging
Pune: PMC Tests Flood Barriers At Ekta Nagari To Prevent Recurring Waterlogging
Pune, August 20, 2025 – In a first-of-its-kind move, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has installed portable flood barriers at Ekta Nagari, one of the city’s most flood-prone spots. Last year, heavy flooding at this location had severely impacted several hundred families. This year, the municipal body is experimenting with flood control technology to check whether such barriers can help prevent water from entering residential premises and redirecting it to the canal nearby and preventing more water from entering the premises.
Ganesh Sonune, head of PMC’s Disaster Management Cell, told Pune Pulse, “The company approached us with the idea of installing these barriers to test their effectiveness. At Ekta Nagari, we have set them up to see whether they can stop flood water from entering the building premises. This is just an experiment, and we are yet to draw a conclusion. It is one of the many measures being explored by the PMC to curb flooding.”
The flood barriers have been developed by Sri Hari Packaging Industries Pvt Ltd’s CEO and Director Rishikesh Palekar, who explained their functionality. “We installed the barricades at Shop 1, Ekta Nagari, near Dwarka Apartment, Anand Nagar, Vadgaon Budruk, along Sinhagad Road. The barriers successfully redirected floodwater onto the road, preventing it from entering the building. These panels are versatile, quick to deploy, and can block water up to 2.5 feet. They can also be positioned to channel water flow as needed. Moreover, the barriers are reusable and easy to store, as they can be stacked compactly when dismantled,” Palekar shared.
Palekar stated that these have been installed at various low lying hospitals and have been successful. This is the first time that a municipal authority is testing it.
If successful, this pilot project could pave the way for wider use of flood barriers across Pune’s flood-prone zones. With unpredictable heavy rainfall events increasing each year, PMC’s adoption of innovative solutions like these could bring much-needed relief to citizens living in vulnerable areas.
