Rubble dumping in Pune’s natural spring causes concern
Despite efforts from residents to protect the natural spring at Bavdhan, ‘developmental activities’ are on
Last week, Shailendra Patel, a water crusader and a resident of Bavdhan was aghast to see truckloads of soil being dumped in the Ram Nadi river. If the dumping continues, he was sure that the natural spring would be closed.
It was in April thus year that Patel had started a movement to preserve the natural spring found in a flowing canal in Bavdhan Goanthan. He had also appealed to the Pune municipal corporation to save the natural spring which was ‘getting lost to urbanisation’.
“I have been fighting for the preservation of the natural spring preservation for the past 1.5 years and now I feel I am fighting a losing battle. Recently I found soil being dumped into the canal by truckloads and they are doing this activity in the night. When I approached the PMC, I was informed that according to the new Development plan this canal is in the yellow belt which means it is allocated for residential purposes. Now I find them dumping soil to create a land fill where the natural springs are situated,” said Patel.
“The natural spring of water discharges 2 lakh litres per day and we want to preserve it from being closed in the name of infrastructure development and construction,” he added.
Dilip Vedepatil, corporator of Bavdhan area said, “I am unaware of such an activity taking place. The natural spring should be preserved at any cost. The problem is that this canal is a part of private land which has more than two owners and earlier when I had spoken to one of the owners Dattaji Gaikwad, he has promised help to save the natural spring.”
According to sources, the land in question, survey no 57 is a private land with many owners and Vedepatil has initiated talks with few of its owners for protecting this natural spring. No concrete action has come out of it though.
Vedepatil said that pipelines can be attached to the spring or the water could be accumulated in a tank. “I have no idea why anyone would go to the extent of filing it up with soil,”he said.
Amar Shinde, executive engineer, building control department, Zone 3 said, “ It is illegal to fill up the natural spring.” He said he will visit the said site for a clearer picture.
Another resident Nikhil Gunjal was surprised that despite efforts from the residents to protect the natural spring, ‘development’ is going ahead without attaching any importance to the natural spring. “I am paying ₹10 lakhs for water through tanker and here we have a natural spring which can easily help supply more than one lakh litres of good potable water. Now they want to stop that too. Instead, PMC should look at protecting and maintaining the natural spring which will be of help to residents.”
