MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Wednesday questioned whether the earth will be habitable at the rate at which natural water bodies are receding.
The court was hearing a PIL regarding flooding of Pune city due to faulty demarcation of flood lines on the banks of Mula Mutha river. “So if you keep on making efforts to recede the flood carrying capacities of rivers and other such natural drainages, what will happen? Will we be able to live here on this earth?” asked Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar.
The PIL by architect Sarang Yarwadkar said erroneous flood line maps wrongly shifting the flood lines to the centre of the river upto 80 meters were included in 2017 development plan. Consequently the prohibitive zone was converted to a developable zone. The incorrect maps were retained as excluded portions in the final sanctioned DP.
The judges noted that there is fault in the preparation of flood lines of Pune city in the 2016 map, a deviation from the 2011 flood lines and that has receded the flood carrying capacity. “This is what happened in Uttarakhand,” the CJ said.
Senior advocate Gayatri Singh and advocate Ronita Bector, for Yarwadkar, said construction is going on inside the flood lines. “This is a clear example of not the apathy of the State govt, the corporation officials and all responsible. It is not apathy. It’s a deliberate attempt to reduce the flood carrying capacity,” the CJ said.
On Dec 6 2023 HC had directed the Irrigation Department to conduct a study of the demarcation of flood lines. The judges noted that the Jan 2 study report mentioned that while preparing flood lines, various factors were not considered. It suggested a comprehensive review be conducted.
In the order, the judges said demarcation of flood line in an urban area or a city like Pune assumes importance for the simple reason that in case any development activity is permitted by the municipal body of such an urban area in the flood zone of any water channel like a river etc., the same results in reducing the flood carrying capacity of such a water channel, which, ultimately causes floods. “To ensure that the earth continues to remain habitable, it is thus very necessary to appropriately and correctly demarcate the flood line of water channels, failing which the inhabitants of the area may face problems beyond remedies,’’ they added.
The judges directed the Jan 2 report to be placed before the additional chief secretary/principal secretary Water Resources Department who shall form a 5 member supervisory committee of experts to formulate a plan for conducting the review. He shall also co-opt experts from external agencies. The committee will fix a timeline for completion of review. The judges directed the committee to be formed within 2 weeks.
The court was hearing a PIL regarding flooding of Pune city due to faulty demarcation of flood lines on the banks of Mula Mutha river. “So if you keep on making efforts to recede the flood carrying capacities of rivers and other such natural drainages, what will happen? Will we be able to live here on this earth?” asked Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar.
The PIL by architect Sarang Yarwadkar said erroneous flood line maps wrongly shifting the flood lines to the centre of the river upto 80 meters were included in 2017 development plan. Consequently the prohibitive zone was converted to a developable zone. The incorrect maps were retained as excluded portions in the final sanctioned DP.
The judges noted that there is fault in the preparation of flood lines of Pune city in the 2016 map, a deviation from the 2011 flood lines and that has receded the flood carrying capacity. “This is what happened in Uttarakhand,” the CJ said.
Senior advocate Gayatri Singh and advocate Ronita Bector, for Yarwadkar, said construction is going on inside the flood lines. “This is a clear example of not the apathy of the State govt, the corporation officials and all responsible. It is not apathy. It’s a deliberate attempt to reduce the flood carrying capacity,” the CJ said.
On Dec 6 2023 HC had directed the Irrigation Department to conduct a study of the demarcation of flood lines. The judges noted that the Jan 2 study report mentioned that while preparing flood lines, various factors were not considered. It suggested a comprehensive review be conducted.
In the order, the judges said demarcation of flood line in an urban area or a city like Pune assumes importance for the simple reason that in case any development activity is permitted by the municipal body of such an urban area in the flood zone of any water channel like a river etc., the same results in reducing the flood carrying capacity of such a water channel, which, ultimately causes floods. “To ensure that the earth continues to remain habitable, it is thus very necessary to appropriately and correctly demarcate the flood line of water channels, failing which the inhabitants of the area may face problems beyond remedies,’’ they added.
The judges directed the Jan 2 report to be placed before the additional chief secretary/principal secretary Water Resources Department who shall form a 5 member supervisory committee of experts to formulate a plan for conducting the review. He shall also co-opt experts from external agencies. The committee will fix a timeline for completion of review. The judges directed the committee to be formed within 2 weeks.