Pune Citizens Raise Fresh Concerns Over Riverfront Project In Meeting With Jal Shakti Minister
Pune Citizens Raise Fresh Concerns Over Riverfront Project In Meeting With Jal Shakti Minister
June 18, 2025 | Pune — For the second time in four months, Pune citizen groups have approached Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil with serious concerns over the Riverfront Development (RFD) Project, urging immediate intervention to address issues of environmental safety, flood risk, and civic impact.
The renewed plea came on June 17, when members of Pune River Revival, an environmental collective, met Minister Patil during his visit to the Central Water and Power Research Station. BJP MP Medha Kulkarni, who has been actively opposing the current RFD implementation, accompanied them. “We have sent letters and met the Minister personally to highlight how riverbeds are shrinking, trees are being felled, and debris is being dumped,” she said.
In a detailed letter presented to the minister, citizens flagged key grievances including:
- Increased flood vulnerability due to altered natural flow
- Ineffective sewage management, despite the ongoing JICA-assisted STP expansion
- Groundwater contamination from untreated sources and microplastics
- Violations of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and encroachment on river habitats
Activist Shailaja Deshpande noted, “Just building STPs will not fix pollution. Direct sewage outfalls and groundwater contamination are still major threats.” Fellow activist Priyadarshini Karve echoed concerns, warning that the assumption of 100% sewage treatment is unrealistic given Pune’s urban sprawl.
The letter also referenced warnings issued by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to PMC, PCMC, and the Irrigation Department regarding interference with river ecology and violations of environmental norms. It cited support from IISER Pune and the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute, both of which have expressed safety concerns about the project’s long-term viability.
The group has demanded an immediate halt to RFD work, a re-evaluation of the project, and a restoration of natural riparian zones to support ecological health and community safety.
“This is not just about development—it’s about preserving our rivers as living ecosystems and cultural lifelines,” the letter concluded.
