A detailed photo blog published by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) on August 11, 2026, argues that the repeated flooding of Pune neighbourhoods during the ongoing monsoon—including severe inundation in Ekta Nagari on Sinhgad Road—is the direct result of “corrupt, non-transparent, unaccountable governance” in the demarcation and enforcement of flood lines along the city’s rivers.
The article focuses on the Mutha River and the riverside settlement of Ekta Nagari, which has been hit by dam discharges multiple times this season. It traces decades of delayed, incomplete, and allegedly fraudulent flood-line mapping that allowed construction in high-risk zones and left residents exposed.
Flood lines are engineering boundaries that define flood zones along rivers. The blue flood line marks areas with a 25-year return period flood (roughly 4% chance in any given year). The red flood line marks the 100-year return period flood (1% chance annually).
The zone between the blue lines is the prohibitive zone, where construction is banned (though temporary uses like playgrounds or seasonal cultivation may be allowed). The area between the red and blue lines is the restrictive zone, permitting limited construction under conditions. These lines, the article states, amount to “a formal agreement defining these boundaries between the river and the humans.”
The report lays out a long history of official failure. In 1989, Maharashtra’s Water Resources Department (WRD) issued a government resolution directing demarcation of flood lines. In 1997, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) expanded by merging 36 villages, including areas around present-day Ekta Nagari.
Land-use patterns shifted and rapid residential development followed in the early 2000s, with structures such as Shyamsundar Co-Op Housing Society built in 2001. Flood lines were finally demarcated by the Khadakwasla Irrigation Department in 2011—22 years after the original order. In 2013, PMC’s new Development Plan omitted the flood lines entirely; officials claimed the WRD had not provided benchmarks.
Updated WRD and Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) guidelines in 2015 required calculation of free-catchment flows and backwater effects, GIS digitisation, ground verification, and exclusive sanction by the WRD Chief Engineer. In 2016, an executive engineer of the Khadakwasla Irrigation Department approved digitised flood-line maps that the report calls “erroneous” and a clear violation of the 2015 rules. No new hydraulic study was conducted; confluence effects and free-catchment flows were ignored.
Architect Sarang Yadwadkar and others filed a public-interest litigation in the Bombay High Court in 2021 challenging the legitimacy of the 2016 maps. On June 30, 2025, the High Court ordered the state government to form an expert committee to study and finalise scientific flood lines, with a report due in four months and implementation in two more. More than a year later, “Pune doesn’t have demarcated scientific and legitimate floodlines till date.”
A subsequent MERI report cited in the article found that the correct blue-flood-line discharge for the Mutha before its confluence with the Mula should be approximately 1,07,739 cusecs after accounting for backwater and free-catchment flows. Existing maps still use only 60,000 cusecs—severely underestimating risk. “The illegitimate marking of 2016 floodlines is a corrupt act and has led to numerous illegal constructions in the city, endangering the lives of residents,” the SANDRP piece states. Similar patterns, it notes, appear along the Mula, Ram, Indrayani and Pawana rivers.
Residents of Ekta Nagari, many from middle-class families who settled two decades ago, continue to suffer annual flooding. On July 31, 2026, discharges of roughly 38,000–43,000 cusecs from Khadakwasla Dam flooded the area; water reportedly reached the second floors of buildings. An earlier release of about 27,000 cusecs on July 8 also caused damage.
Ujwala Bobade, a resident of Jal Pujan Apartment who runs a shop in the area, told the authors: “I run a shop here, almost every year now we have been facing this (flooding) issue. They (WRD Authorities) should manage the dam discharge such that the buildings don’t get flooded. During the 8th July dam discharge of approx. 20,000 cusecs, my shop was greatly damaged. On 31st July 2026 morning, the discharge was 4,000 cusecs while suddenly in the afternoon they said it will be increased up to 40,000 cusecs. We haven’t been able to sleep a blink last night… In 2024, CM Eknath Shinde came here for a visit – he promised us rehabilitation but nothing has happened ever since.”
Sarang Yadwadkar, one of the PIL petitioners, said: “All states should prioritise demarcation of floodlines, especially tier 1 cities where ‘development’ takes place and settlements established right near dams… The 8th July 2026 floods at release of 27,203 cusecs were just a teaser… apathy of PMC and state government towards Punekars is quite visible through their inaction in this matter. This inaction is unjust, directly impacts the safety of the citizens.”
Locals and rescue teams observed that backwater effects from a stream joining the Mutha often cause more damage than the dam releases themselves—an issue already flagged in the 2015 MERI circular but still not properly reflected on the ground. Retention walls have repeatedly failed or collapsed. Pune’s saucer-shaped topography, seven major upstream dams, six rivers, rising frequency of extreme rainfall, and extensive encroachment of floodplains combine to heighten risk.
The article invokes Archimedes’ principle: filling floodplains simply spreads water farther or higher. A Central Water and Power Research Station report on a metro stretch through the riverbed is cited as further evidence of elevated inundation around piers and bridges.
While demolitions of illegal structures in flood zones have occurred elsewhere (including 36 bungalows in Chikhali), the report asks how long ordinary citizens who purchased homes with municipal approvals should pay the price for systemic failure. A 2024 rehabilitation promise by then-Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remains unfulfilled.
The SANDRP authors conclude that scientifically demarcated and enforced flood lines are more urgent than ever given climate trends and urbanisation. “Prioritizing people over profit and holding system to account is important. The development should go hand in hand with respecting the nature’s boundaries.”
The piece is based on interviews with Yadwadkar and Ekta Nagari residents, photographs by Tara Tanmayi S. and the Jeevitnadi team, and a review of government circulars, court orders and RTI responses.
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