Pune: Wagholi Residents Stage Hunger Strike Over Drainage Crisis, PMC Begins Temporary Work After MLA Intervention
Wagholi, 17th June 2025: Over 25,000 residents of Ivy Estate Road in Wagholi were forced to launch a peaceful hunger strike demanding a permanent solution to the long-standing absence of a proper drainage system in their area. The protest, led by the Wagholi Against Corruption Organization (WACO), began after repeated appeals to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and elected representatives failed to yield results.
Speaking to the media, Anil Kumar Mishra, president of WACO, said, “For years, Wagholikars have been living in unsanitary conditions due to the lack of drainage. Our requests were ignored. With no alternative left, we began an आमरण उपोषण (indefinite hunger strike) to ensure our voices were heard.”
On Day 1 of the protest, local MLA Dnyaneshwar Katke visited the site and assured residents that the issue would be addressed. By Day 2, PMC officials began laying pipelines as a temporary measure, following which the hunger strike was suspended conditionally.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to MLA Katke for his prompt response, to the PMC teams, social workers, thousands of united Wagholikars, and the police officers who supported us throughout. However, this is just the beginning. The PMC must now move beyond stopgap arrangements and implement a permanent drainage system. If not, we will be left with no choice but to resume our hunger strike,” Mishra added.
The Ivy Estate Road stretch has witnessed repeated flooding and sanitation issues during the monsoon season due to poor infrastructure planning, posing serious health and safety risks.
Residents have reiterated that their movement is rooted in the demand for basic civic amenities and dignity.
