Developer booked on Pune civic body's complaint for dumping construction debris into river

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has got a police case registered against a developer for allegedly dumping construction debris into the Mutha riverbed in Shivajinagar, officials said on Thursday. The debris reportedly originated from a slum rehabilitation project in the Tofkhana area being executed by the developer, they added. The action comes after photographs and videos surfaced on social media showing rubble and soil being tipped into the flowing river near Tilak Bridge and Amruteshwar Temple. It triggered outrage among netizens. PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said the civic body has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against illegal dumping. ''Throwing construction waste into the riverbed or any public place is a serious offence. Criminal cases have been ordered against those responsible. Besides registering an offence with police against the project, a stop work notice has been issued to the project and a fine of Rs 10 lakh has been levied,'' Ram said. Local residents alleged trucks were seen unloading soil, stones and cement waste directly into the river channel, raising concerns about obstruction to water flow and possible flooding during the monsoon. Environmental activists said such activities defeat the purpose of the city's Riverfront Development project. Additional Municipal Commissioner Pavneet Kaur said special teams have been deployed to trace the source of the debris and identify the projects involved. ''Stop-work notices are being issued wherever violations are detected. Vehicles used for dumping will be seized and repeat offenders will face cancellation of licences and blacklisting,'' she said. PMC officials said despite the availability of a construction and demolition waste processing facility at Wagholi, some contractors avoid using it to cut transportation costs. The civic body has decided to step up monitoring through CCTV surveillance and periodic inspections, while fixing accountability at the level of engineers and site supervisors, officials added.