Campaign For Clean Rivers In Pune: Citizens Stage Protest In Mula River Near Pimple Nilakh
Campaign For Clean Rivers In Pune: Citizens Stage Protest In Mula River Near Pimple Nilakh
More than a hundred environmental activists and social organizations from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad gathered on Sunday, April 20, to protest against the ongoing Mula Riverfront Development Project.
Frustrated by the lack of response from authorities—including the Chief Minister, senior political leaders, municipal commissioners, and district officials—citizens staged a sit-in protest right in the riverbed near the Pimple Nilakh crematorium.
Around 25 protestors entered the river and sat in peaceful protest, demanding a halt to the riverfront project and immediate attention to river cleanliness.
Over the past few weeks, protests have been intensifying, with previous demonstrations held at Chapekar Chowk (March 9), Balewadi (March 15), Pimple Saudagar (March 23), and Durga Tekdi foothills (March 29), where hundreds formed human chains to oppose tree cutting and demand clean rivers.
Protestors argue that the project is destroying the natural habitat of birds and animals along the Mula River by felling trees and narrowing the riverbed, increasing the risk of future floods.
They also claim that the project fails to prioritize water quality. Citizens have warned that if the project is not stopped within a week, a more intense protest will be launched on April 27 at the same location.
