Chorus against Pune’s riverfront project grows louder
The Hindu
It’s a disaster waiting to happen, say environmentalists; questions civic body’s ‘hurry’ in getting project cleared
Noted environmentalists and activists have been raising grave concerns against the Pune Municipal Corporation’s ambitious, multi-crore Pune River Front Development project, whose objective is to clean and rejuvenate the 44-km stretch of the city’s polluted rivers.
For a long time, they have contended that the project, ostensibly intended to purify and restore the natural flow of the city’s rivers, would only result in the rise of floodwater levels while irreversibly destroying the rich biodiversity along the riverbank. However, the PMC, refusing to pay heed to them, has started the tendering process for the project.
After the environmentalists approached the State Water Resources Department (WRD) with their concerns, the WRD warned the civic body that it would be “solely responsible for any loss of life or property” owing to any flood-like situation arising due to the project.