PMC notice to Bavdhan society over missing stormwater drains, residents blame developer

Pune: After years of severe waterlogging that routinely cut off access to the gated Nisarg Society in Bavdhan during the monsoon, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has attributed the problem to the absence of a stormwater drainage network and rainwater harvesting system and issued a notice to the society to install the missing infrastructure.The society has been directed to appoint a consultant and implement stormwater drains and rainwater harvesting measures. The notice said that the society and property owners will be responsible for any hazards caused by inadequate rainwater management.Residents and the trust managing the township have pushed back, arguing that the responsibility lies with the developer and questioned how the civic body and the zilla parishad granted completion certificates without verifying that these basic drainage facilities were in place.Sudhanshu Sane, administrator for the gated society, said theirs were freehold non-agricultural plots bought by individuals and developed by a third party from 2004 onwards. “This is a gated society but no cooperative society was formed. A trust was set up to look after the maintenance of common areas and security. So the ownership still lies with the developer. If there are no stormwater drains, it is for the developer to make them.

When the land was developed, it was with the zilla parishad which then transferred it to PMRDA and then to PMC. We will reply to their notice,” Sane said.PMC officials inspected the society after residents complained of waterlogging outside the main gate. A July 6 viral video showed rainwater flowing from inside the society onto the service road.Assistant municipal commissioner of Kothrud-Bavdhan ward office Suhas Jadhav said no responsibility lies with the builder. “These are bungalow societies in a plotted layout under individual ownership which means they are supposed to build the rainwater harvesting and stormwater drains. I visited the society twice and have also spoken with the representatives in mohalla committee meetings. We constructed stormwater drains outside the society’s gate but they have concreted the internal roads without any stormwater drain inside the society.

There is no way for the accumulated water to flow. Hence, we have told them to get it done so that they don’t suffer during heavy rain.”