Flood Fury of Pune :Understanding the Tributaries

Abstract

RationaleOn 12th July, 1961 Pune city faced devastating floods due to collapse of the newly constructed Panshet dam and breach of Khadakwasla dam. The dams emptied within a few hours that day. There was a total devastation in Pune. A catastrophe such as dam collapse is a rare phenomenon. But it will not be an exaggeration to say that we got a glimpse of it, in the form of floods of 2019. Floods in the Ambil odha, a major feeder stream to Mutha and in the Bhairoba nalla, a major feeder stream to Mula-Mutha caused loss of life and property. The Settlements which suffered heavy losses were away from rivers and not in low lying areas. Bavdhan, Balawadi, Baner areas also suffered. These areas were also away from Mula river. This made different experts related to water to look at the floods differently and emphasizing on River Ecosystems and its interventions. Scope of the ArticleThis article does not cover the total span of Mula, Mutha and Mula-Mutha in detail. However, we have tried to take a holistic approach and correlating surface and subsurface water and morphological characters of sub watersheds in particular. All main rivers entering Pune region are dammed and their flows and floods are controlled by the dams. Stretches of river flowing through Pune city are joined by small tributaries and nallas. These tributary streams having large area of water shade contributes significant amount of water to the main river especially during rainy season to impact flow and floods in the Pune city. The recommendations provided in this article are based on various scientific investigations done over various periods, on various subjects in the area and region. The article is a narrative of the causes and suggests solutions for controlling and minimising flood impacts in Pune city and the region around Pune.