Pune rains: Maharashtra CM Shinde orders cleanup drive after flood in parts of Pune district

Water and mud in the low lying houses in Pune after heavy rains. Pic/PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has instructed the Pune district administration to start a massive cleanup drive after heavy rains in Pune on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Pune rains caused floods in Sinhagad Road, Patil Estate near Sanchayani Bridge, Ekta Nagar, and Fulpachi Wadi areas with water and mud entering houses.

CM Shinde directed the civic body in the district to organise the drive with the help of private cleaning companies.

According to an official statement, CM Shinde has directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and private cleaning companies to work together to clean up the mud and debris in these areas. He has also asked district officials to quickly assess and report the damage to homes and agriculture caused by the flood.

Mud and dirt have entered homes in Singhgad Road, Patil Estate near Sanchayani Bridge, Ekta Nagar, and Fulpachi Wadi, putting the health of the residents at risk. Taking immediate action, CM Shinde has ordered a deep cleaning drive for the affected areas, the statement read.

To aid the cleanup, CM Shinde suggested using the services of private cleaning companies Sumit Enterprises and Bharat Vikas Group (BVG). Responding to his call, Sumit Enterprises will provide 500 cleaning workers, and BVG will provide 100 cleaning workers to clear out the mud from homes, according to the statement.

The Chief Minister also instructed the municipal administration to spray medicines to prevent the spread of diseases in the affected areas due to the floodwater and mud.

July 26-like scare in Pune; 4 dead, city waterlogged

Heavy rainfall in Pune on Wednesday and Thursday resulted in four deaths, several people being trapped, and property damage worth lakhs. The flooding sparked fears reminiscent of the 2005 deluge, though Pune's rainfall was less severe. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported 114.1 mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 8 am yesterday, causing rivers and canals to overflow.

Flooding-affected areas, including Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chowk on the Mumbai-Bangalore highway, Narayan Peth and Akurdi, stranded commuters. The Khadakwasla dam released a large volume of water into the Mutha river around 3 am due to heavy rain.

According to the Pune police, "Three individuals lost their lives in the Bhide Bridge area. Abhishek Ajay Ghanekar, 25 and Akash Vinayak Mane, 21, both from Pulachi Wadi in Narayan Peth, along with a Nepali labourer, Shiva Jidbahadur Parihar, 18, were electrocuted while trying to move their stall to safety amid rising waters. Despite being rushed to Sahyadri Hospital, they were declared dead at 5 am.

Authorities have issued alerts and warnings, and over 200 residents from Ekta Nagar have been evacuated due to chest-high water levels, with rescue operations underway by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The water level at Veer Dam has risen to 579.30 metres, prompting an increase in discharge to 4,637 cubic feet per second (cusecs), with plans to raise it further to 13,911 cusecs.