Heavy Rains Force Mass Evacuations in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad

Severe rainfall has caused significant flooding in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, leading local authorities to evacuate hundreds of residents as of 12:41 AM on Wednesday. The ongoing evacuations are a response to rising water levels and flood-like conditions affecting various neighborhoods.

In Pimpri-Chinchwad, approximately 25 residents from Panchsheel Nagar in Pimple Nilakh and 45 from Laxminagar in Pimple Gurav were relocated to nearby municipal schools. Additionally, six residents from Sanjay Gandhi Nagar were moved to Kamala Nehru School, while evacuations also began in Jadhav Ghat. Around 40 individuals from Ramnagar in Bopkhel were similarly transferred to a municipal corporation school. The evacuation efforts commenced late at night and continued into the early morning hours.

Sunil Pawar, the Executive Engineer of Mobility, stated, “All zonal officers are in close coordination with the local police inspectors, and both PCMC and PCPC teams are collectively responding.” He emphasized that the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) control room is under constant monitoring by Pawar and five other officials.

PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh addressed the media, clarifying that no decision has been made regarding the closure of schools, nor has any directive been received from the district collector’s office. This reassurance came as residents faced uncertainty amid the flooding.

The situation worsened in Pune as the irrigation department increased water discharge from the Pavana Dam to 15,570 cusecs at 20:30 and from the Mulshi Dam to 25,400 cusecs at 22:00 on Tuesday. In low-lying areas, the release of 35,000 cusecs from the Khadakwasla Dam exacerbated the flooding, particularly in the Ekta Nagar area on Sinhagad Road, where water inundated housing societies and parking lots, trapping several residents inside their homes.

While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) arranged temporary shelter in a nearby school, many residents hesitated to leave their properties. Civic officials urged them to relocate to safer locations. Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, who visited Ekta Nagar around midnight, assured the public that arrangements had been made in vulnerable areas. “Teams have been deployed on the ground to ensure citizens’ safety,” Ram stated.

Local residents expressed frustration over the recurring flooding, particularly in Ekta Nagar, where they experienced significant losses during previous flood events. Despite multiple assurances from government officials, a permanent solution to the flooding issues has yet to be implemented.

As the situation develops, local authorities continue to monitor conditions closely and coordinate rescue efforts to safeguard the affected communities.