Rains exposes civic disaster! 84% of the city has no storm water drainage system, admits commissioner

Pune: As torrential rains lash Pune, the city is once again sinking—not just in water, but in administrative failure and civic negligence. With roads turning into filthy rivers and citizens left wading through ankle-deep muck, Punekars are not just disgusted, but are exhausted and enraged.

Water-logging, flooded streets, and zero accountability—this familiar nightmare has returned with full force, and this time, it has exposed just how little has been done despite endless warnings and desperate cries from the public.

Speaking to National Bulletin, Arun Bhatia, former IAS officer and ex-municipal commissioner, did not hold back. “Every year, we Punekars suffer the same chaos. There is no system in place. Our fundamental rights to safety, health, and dignity are completely ignored by the civic body,” he said, calling out the city’s broken promises.

Bhatia also slammed the administration for failing on every front—from the complete absence of a stormwater drainage system, to poorly maintained and perpetually clogged drains, and no practical plan for rainwater to seep into the ground. “Why is the administration not thinking long-term?” he questioned, adding that the solution lies in installing underground storage tanks that can collect and allow rainwater to seep slowly into the soil. “This will  not just save our roads from flooding, it will also prevent traffic jams and vehicle breakdowns during heavy downpours,” he added.

But the most shocking revelation did not come from critics; it came straight from the top. Pune Municipal Commissioner and former District Collector Naval Kishor Ram admitted the grim truth after inspecting the city firsthand during Friday’s rainfall. “I personally toured the city in the rain to understand what an ordinary citizen goes through. What I saw shocked me—water-logging, endless traffic snarls, choked drains. It’s worse than I imagined,” he confessed.

And then came the bombshell--"Only 16 percent of Pune is covered by a stormwater drainage system," he said. The remaining 84 percent of the city is exposed, unprepared, and repeatedly punished by the rains year after year.

However, Ram promised immediate short-term solutions, including deploying emergency teams to unclog drains, drain water, and clean up the mess. He also acknowledged the plight of the newly merged villages, which still lack even the most basic civic infrastructure. “I am focusing on them too. These areas will soon witness positive changes,” he said, ending on a positive note.