01 December,2025 05:31 PM IST | Pune | Archana Dahiwal
Key citizen demands include immediate completion of the remaining 30-metre sewer line and strict compliance with directives issued by the NGT. Pic/Special Arrangement
A planned Pune citizens' protest titled âRam Nadi Satyagraha' - in which residents were set to stand inside Ramnadi at the point where nearly 70 per cent of the river's sewage is discharged - was called off after the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) initiated on-ground work.
The protest, scheduled for Friday, November 28, was organised in response to what residents described as long-standing administrative negligence. Despite repeated complaints, site inspections, and clear directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Divisional Commissioner, untreated sewage has continued to flow unabated into Ramnadi. Citizens from Bhugaon, Bhukum, and Bavdhan said they were left with "no option but peaceful civil resistance."
Citizens had planned 'Ram Nadi Satyagraha Dharna' at the Bavdhan-Bhugaon bridge. Pic/Special Arrangement
Speaking to mid-day, Advocate Krunnal Gharre, who led the agitation, said, "The agitation was cancelled after our meeting with PMRDA officials. They requested us not to stand in the sewage and assured immediate action. The work has begun from Thursday itself."
Gharre said residents were forced to announce a protest only after "bureaucratic delays and false assurances" from various agencies. "A spot that discharges 70-80 per cent of the river's sewage needs only a 30-metre connection, yet PMRDA didn't act. The Pashan STP is already delayed by 15 months. This is unacceptable," he said, adding that support for the movement has grown across all areas along the river.
Gharre added that with multiple agencies involved - including the Pune Municipal Corporation, the gram panchayats of Bhukum, Bhugaon and other villages, and PMRDA - no single authority was taking responsibility for resolving the issue.
The key citizen demands include immediate completion of the remaining 30-metre sewer line and strict compliance with directives issued by the NGT and the Divisional Commissioner. They have also sought expedited commissioning of the Pashan STP.
Gharre had issued an official letter to PMRDA on November 24, highlighting that despite continuous follow-ups, only empty assurances such as "we will see" or "we will do" were given, with no tangible action taken.
Advocate Krunnal Gharre. Pic/Special Arrangement
The letter noted that around 1 MLD of untreated sewage continues to flow directly into Ramnadi because the pending sewer link remains incomplete. Citizens had formally informed PMRDA of their intention to launch the âRam Nadi Satyagraha Dharna' at the Bavdhan-Bhugaon bridge, stating that the authority would be fully responsible for the situation.
Responding to the developments, PMRDA Commissioner Dr Yogesh Mhase told Mid-day, "Development of civic infrastructure falls under PMC, since they collect property tax from residents within corporation limits. Moreover, PMRDA pays PMC 75 per cent of the development charges collected from developers in 23 villages."
