With heavy discharge from Pavana, Indrani and Mulshi dams adding to the river inflows, the civic administration has activated disaster management cells across all regional offices and kept emergency teams on round-the-clock alert
PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh interacts with flood-affected residents in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Incessant rainfall in Maharashtra’s Pimpri-Chinchwad and the dam catchment areas has caused rivers to swell, forcing the municipal corporation to evacuate nearly 950 residents from the low-lying areas to safer shelters. The twin town of Pimpri-Chinchwad has badly been affected by the heavy rains that lashed several parts of Maharashtra for the past three days.
With heavy discharge from Pavana, Indrani and Mulshi dams adding to the river inflows, the civic administration has activated disaster management cells across all regional offices and kept emergency teams on round-the-clock alert.
Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner and Administrator, Shekhar Singh, confirmed that relief centres have been set up in municipal schools and community halls, equipped with food, water, electricity and medical support.
“Flood-affected citizens are being shifted to safety and provided with all necessary facilities. Citizens must stay alert and contact the municipal control room in case of emergencies,” Singh said, while inspecting arrangements in Bhatnagar and Sangvi on Tuesday night.
According to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC’s) update as on 8 am Wednesday, evacuations were carried out in multiple flood-prone areas.
The details of the evacuation are as follows:
‘A’ Division: Seventy-five citizens rescued from Bhatnagar in Pimpri have been shifted to Late Navnath Dagdu Sable School at Buddhavihar Hall and Chekan Das Mewani Hall.
‘B’ Division: The largest operation to relocate 628 residents was conducted in ‘B’ division. The residents were rescued from Labour Camp, Kivale, Keshavnagar, Jadhav Ghat and Kalewadi to MHADA housing units and Valhekarwadi School.
‘D’ Division: Thirty-two citizens from Panchsheel Nagar, Pimple Nilakh shifted to Primary Schools No 52 and 53.
‘E’ Division: Forty-five residents from Ramnagar and Bopkhel shifted to PCMC school in Ramnagar.
‘G’ Division: From Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, 125 residents were shifted to Kamala Nehru School.
‘H’ Division: Forty-five people living in Laxminagar and Pimple Gurav relocated to Bhagat Singh School and PCMC Primary School No 54.
In addition, several migrant labourers staying at construction sites were shifted to vacant Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) flats.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade, health department, and solid waste teams have been stationed at vulnerable riverbank settlements. Fire tenders, boats, ambulances and Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) buses have been deployed to support rescue and relocation efforts. The civic disaster management control room is operating 24X7, coordinating with the irrigation department for hourly dam discharge data as well as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for rainfall updates, and traffic police for diversions.
Assistant Municipal Commissioners and Additional Commissioners Pradeep Jambhale-Patil, Vijaykumar Khorate, and Trupti Sandbhor are monitoring relief operations on the ground.
The situation continues to remain tense with 15,700 cusecs of water being discharged from Pavana Dam, while Khadakwasla Dam’s release into the Mutha River was increased to 39,138 cusecs at 10 am on Wednesday, irrigation department officials informed.
As per IMD reports, the city recorded its second-highest single-day rainfall of this monsoon, with 41.4 mm received until 5.30 pm. Lohegaon logged 44.8 mm, Chinchwad 41.5 mm, and Pashan 23.3 mm. In the ghat regions, the rainfall was extreme – with Tamhini (Mulshi) recording 320 mm, Davadi (Maval) 225 mm, and Lonavala 145 mm in just 24 hours.
Several low-lying areas, including Sangvi, Pavana Nagar, Jaymala Nagar and Bhatnagar, reported incidents of water entering homes since midnight. Civic teams, along with local activists, have been persuading riverside residents to move, though many continue to risk staying in partially inundated homes along the Pawana, Indrayani and Mula rivers.
While PCMC has evacuated close to 2,000 people across the city since Tuesday night, officials caution that if rainfall continues in the catchment areas, water levels in the three rivers may rise further, worsening the flood situation.
“The flood situation is under control. Citizens should not panic but remain alert. Our administration is closely monitoring river levels, and all necessary measures have been taken to safeguard lives,” said Municipal Commissioner Singh.
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