Maharashtra Govt Sets Up 12-Member Panel To Review Flood Lines In Pune And Pimpri-Chinchwad
Maharashtra Govt Sets Up 12-Member Panel To Review Flood Lines In Pune And Pimpri-Chinchwad
Mumbai, February 21, 2026: The Government of Maharashtra has constituted a 12-member committee to reassess the red and blue flood lines in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad and recommend updated development regulations. The panel has been directed to submit its report within two months.
The decision follows demands raised in the state assembly by Pimpri-Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap, who called for a revision of the existing flood demarcations. The move also comes after sustained representations by civic activists, including Sarang Yadwadkar, Vijay Kumbhar and Vivek Velankar, urging the government to re-evaluate current flood management norms.
A Government Resolution (GR) announcing the formation of the committee was issued by Pranav Varpe, Deputy Secretary of the Urban Development Department. According to the resolution, the panel will examine the existing flood lines and propose necessary amendments to ensure safer and more regulated urban development in vulnerable areas.
The committee will be headed by the Additional Secretary of the Urban Development Department and will include senior officials such as the Additional Secretary of the Water Resources Department, the Rehabilitation Secretary, the Director General of the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI), the Director of the Urban Development Department, municipal commissioners of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kolhapur and Chandrapur, and chief executive officers of the municipal councils of Mahad and Badlapur.
Reacting to the development, activist Vivek Velankar said that concerns regarding flood lines have been raised repeatedly over the years. He noted that earlier acknowledgements by the irrigation department and MERI had indicated shortcomings in the current flood demarcations. An earlier panel formed eight months ago had not made significant progress, he added, expressing hope that the newly constituted committee would submit its report on time and recommend measures to prevent construction in flood-prone zones.
The review is expected to play a crucial role in shaping future urban planning and flood risk management in the rapidly expanding twin cities.
