Pune: In a ray of hope for environmentalists and residents, municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram told TOI that the remaining 8.8km section of the Pune Riverfront Development Project will be redesigned.From exploring ways to retain heritage trees as part of the proposed riverfront promenade instead of cutting or transplanting them, to protecting natural streams flowing into the river, the revised plan for the rest of the project, is expected to be more environmentally sensitive, Bipin Shinde, who heads the project for the PMC, said.The decision comes in the wake of a visit to four sites along the Mula-Mutha river on Wednesday by Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, Ram and other civic officials from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, environmental experts, and volunteers associated with Pune River Revival where the organisation pointed out ecological concerns related to the project.Shinde said, “During Wednesday’s visit, it was pointed out that there are heritage trees and biodiversity-rich spots and natural streams flowing towards the river. The 8.8km stretch of the RFD project, which remains to be constructed, will now be surveyed again by environmental experts and consultants. The PMC will redraw the design of the promenade and other facilities proposed along the river. Wherever possible, we will try to retain some of the old trees and if natural streams can be incorporated into the design.”The new draft is expected within a month after which it will be placed before stakeholders for a discussion. “All constructions will be on hold till the new design for the remaining 8.8km is finalized,” Shinde added.However, not all are happy with the proposal to redesign the project as they feel PMC needs to correct the blunders it made in the RFD areas it constructed before redesigning the remaining proposed construction along the river.Environmental activist Sarang Yadwadkar said that huge damage has already been done and that the river’s flood-carrying capacity has been severely reduced. He added that PMC’s priority should be to restore the river to its original form and natural capacity, and the river itself must be improved before any attempt is made to ‘beautify’ its banks.He said. “The river is choked with sewage. Pune generates around 1,500 MLD of sewage every day, but only 477 MLD is reportedly treated. Even if sewage treatment plants are operating at full capacity, barely 30% is being treated, with the rest ending up in the river untreated. Funds should first be spent on ensuring 100% sewage treatment.” He added that no trees should be felled in the future, stressing that beautification should not mean concreting.Prajakta Mahajan, from the PRR, a citizen-driven, volunteer movement that aims to protect the city’s rivers, said they are hoping to meet Ram next week. “We will submit a list of what needs to be kept in mind before redesigning the project so that they can incorporate our suggestions when they design it.”The Maharashtra environment and climate change department on June 12 ordered multiple govt bodies to conduct a thorough inquiry into the RFD project and submit the fact-finding report, following formal complaints filed by MLA Aaditya Thackeray and activist Sarang Yadwadkar alleging severe environmental violations in the project.The missive enlisted major objections in the complaints against the RFD project, including the “fundamentally flawed” hydraulic report in which flood level measurement is inconsistent with reality, artificial narrowing of the riverbed hindering the flow of the river in violation of WRD circulars, and PMC’s inaction in holding a meeting and conducting a site inspection, despite WRD’s request. The letter told the officials to submit a report considering the gravity of the issues raised by the complainants.The letter from the department was addressed to PMC, water resources department, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and regional office of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.Spot Visits Highlight Biodiversity & Tree LossThe first site visited was near Bharat Electronics Limited on the banks of the Mula River in the PCMC area. Volunteers and experts highlighted the rich biodiversity and the importance of preserving the wooded areas by the riverside and habitats.Between Wakad and the confluence of the Pavana and Mula rivers alone, at least 23 ecologically significant locations have been documented, all of which require protection and conservation irrespective of the riverfront project. At Waghacha Ghat in Aundh, participants observed wetlands and rich biodiversity along the river.At Bund Garden, citizens raised concerns regarding tree transplantation carried out during the earlier phases of the project. It was pointed out that only a fraction of trees were transplanted and a majority of the trees are newly planted.MP Medha Kulkarni suggested that PMC and PCMC identify stretches of the river that can be developed in an ecologically sensitive manner without cutting a single tree.She proposed creating natural river trails and low-impact public spaces while preserving biodiversity and existing green cover.She suggested that if municipal funding is unavailable, such demonstration projects could also be supported by CSR funds which can be an example for riverfront projects across the country.
