Bombay High Court Directs State to Finalise Pune Floodline Review in Four Months
Pune, 2nd July 2025: In a significant development concerning urban planning and flood risk in Pune, the Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra government and an expert committee to finalize and act upon a scientific assessment of floodline demarcations within four months.
The directive comes in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2021 by civic activists Sarang Yadwadkar, Vivek Velankar, and Vijay Kumbhar, who raised concerns about inaccuracies in the 2017 Development Plan (DP) of Pune city—particularly in relation to flood-prone zones.
The latest court order, issued on June 30, mandates that the expert committee must submit its report within two months, and the state government must take appropriate action based on the recommendations within another two months.
“The expert committee shall positively submit a report to the state government within a period of two months from June 30. The state government, on receipt of the report, shall take appropriate action on the recommendations… within a further period of two months,” stated the division bench comprising Justices Alok Aadhav and Sandeep Marne.
The court also clarified that once the committee’s report is submitted, the petitioners will have the right to provide further suggestions to the state government, if necessary.
The PIL demands a scientific reassessment of floodlines and a ban on granting permissions for Development Plans (DPs) on any land within 100 metres of the floodline, citing outdated hydrological studies and poor urban planning as a major threat to Pune’s safety.
“We are not opposed to development, but it must be responsible and based on reliable data,” said Sarang Yadwadkar, one of the petitioners.
“The current floodline demarcations in the Development Plan are flawed, and we’ve urged that all new construction within 100 metres of these zones be halted until accurate boundaries are defined.”
“Despite an earlier court directive, the expert panel formed under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary (Water Resources) never convened or submitted its report. That inaction led us to file an interim application,” said co-petitioner Vijay Kumbhar.
The petitioners have consistently warned that Pune is at serious risk of urban flooding unless updated and scientific floodline data is incorporated into planning decisions. They argue that the inaccurate floodlines in the 2017 DP could lead to construction in vulnerable zones, endangering lives and property.
The court’s ruling now puts the onus on the expert panel and the state government to act swiftly, with the potential to influence land use policy, construction permissions, and flood mitigation efforts across the city.
