‘We Walk Through Sewage Every Day’: Pune Residents Plead for Urgent PMC Intervention

Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Hadapsar, 9th July 2026: Residents of Adarshnagar in Kalepadal, Mohammadwadi (Ward 41) have alleged that the area’s drainage system is on the verge of collapse, leaving roads inundated with foul-smelling sewage and rainwater. They claim the situation has created serious health hazards and disrupted the daily lives of hundreds of families.

With the monsoon intensifying, overflowing drainage lines have become a recurring problem, causing sewage to spill onto roads, residential lanes and public spaces. Residents say children, senior citizens and school-going students are among the worst affected, as they are forced to wade through contaminated water every day.

The stagnant sewage has heightened fears of water-borne and vector-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, gastroenteritis and leptospirosis. Residents also complain of an unbearable stench and a sharp increase in mosquito breeding due to stagnant wastewater.

According to locals, repeated complaints to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have yielded only temporary relief, with blocked drains overflowing again after every spell of heavy rain. They alleged that the underground drainage network has failed to keep pace with the area’s rapid urbanisation and growing population, making periodic cleaning inadequate.

Several roads in Adarshnagar remain waterlogged for hours after rainfall, making movement difficult for pedestrians and motorists alike. Hidden potholes beneath the murky water have led to frequent skidding incidents involving two-wheelers, while emergency vehicles and school buses also face difficulty navigating the flooded stretches.

Residents further alleged that many homes experience drainage backflow during heavy rain, while overflowing manholes discharge untreated sewage directly onto public roads, contaminating residential neighbourhoods and increasing the risk of infections.

The civic crisis has also affected local businesses. Shopkeepers said customers avoid flooded roads because of the unhygienic conditions, resulting in reduced footfall and forcing them to clean their premises repeatedly throughout the day.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating civic infrastructure, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rohini Kshirsagar called for immediate intervention by the PMC.

“The drainage system in Adarshnagar has suffered a total collapse. The situation is extremely dangerous for children, senior citizens and school students who have no option but to walk through sewage-filled roads every day. This is not merely an inconvenience but a serious public health emergency. The PMC must immediately undertake permanent repairs, replace damaged drainage lines and ensure that residents are not forced to live in such unsafe conditions,” Kshirsagar said.

Ward 41 Corporator Nivrutti Anna Bandal said the issue has been repeatedly raised with civic authorities and stressed the need for a permanent engineering solution rather than temporary measures.

“We are aware of the serious drainage problems being faced by residents of Adarshnagar and Kalepadal. The matter has been taken up with the concerned PMC departments, and I have requested immediate cleaning of blocked drainage lines along with a long-term engineering solution. Temporary measures are not sufficient. The drainage infrastructure needs comprehensive strengthening so that residents do not face the same crisis every monsoon,” Bandal said.

Residents have demanded immediate desilting of underground drains, replacement of damaged pipelines, repair of overflowing manholes, and strengthening of the storm-water drainage system to prevent rainwater from mixing with sewage. They have also called for a comprehensive technical survey to identify bottlenecks and upgrade the ageing drainage network.

Locals warned that unless permanent corrective measures are implemented before the peak monsoon period, the situation is likely to worsen, exposing thousands of residents to serious health risks while causing further damage to roads and civic infrastructure.

Residents said Adarshnagar has struggled with drainage problems for years, but this year’s monsoon has exposed what they describe as the complete failure of the underground drainage system. They have appealed to the Pune Municipal Corporation to treat the issue as an emergency and restore proper drainage facilities before the crisis escalates further.