Pune: There are around 170 flood-prone areas in the city that will change because of an increase in hard surface concreting , closed streams and improper stormwater drainage , said Shrikant Gabale, urban geomorphologist and an expert member of state govt’s pilot Pavana river rejuvenation project. “I have surveyed the city for ten years and from the change in landscapes it can be observed that Pune currently has over 170 flood-prone areas. These are areas where roads have been constructed recently without taking elevation into account, closing all stormwater drains in the process, near chowks, newly constructed societies, near Metro pillars and of course close to rivers and all of these is due to anthropogenic changes made to the topography of the city,” said Gabale.
Pune is surrounded by hills with multiple streams. “Most of the streams have been blocked due to constructions and encroachment. Hence, 95 percent of the rainwater slips away as run-off and joins the river and only 5 percent gets infiltrated,” Gabale added.
Experts said that heavy rain is likely to trigger floods in areas near 55 confluence regions of Mutha river and low-lying areas mainly due to floodline violations. Also, construction of 60 Metro pillars and piers on the riverbed has increased the chances of floods. Gabale also stated that every road and stormwater drain is designed to account for 70 to 80 mm of rainfall per hour, but this time it exceeded over 120 mm per hour, which the city could not.