Residents of 14 buildings in Pune's Ambegaon Budruk area were evacuated late Tuesday night after a landslip triggered by heavy rains caused boulders, mud, and trees to crash into the Viva Nirman Society's parking area. Over 100 families from Ambegaon Budruk and Ambegaon Pathar were instructed to vacate their homes as a precaution.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued evacuation notices after the incident, which left two residential buildings precariously perched on the edge of the landslip. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Continuous construction activities over the years have nearly eroded the hill in Ambegaon Pathar and Ambegaon Budruk, according to Ashok Shinde, a local resident. The vulnerable state of the area was exacerbated by Tuesday's downpour.
When Times of India (TOI) visited the site on Wednesday, the remains of boulders, mud, trees, and plaster were evident in the parking area of Viva Nirman Society. Abhijit Shinde, the society's treasurer, described how rainwater began flowing into the society from the cliff, followed by a sudden noise as debris fell into the parking area.
Anil Pawar, the society's secretary, reported that 46 families from the B and C wings had been relocated to the society clubhouse, with some moving in with relatives or searching for rental accommodations. The PMC has deemed the buildings dangerous, prompting these urgent measures.
Society chairman Amol Mote, along with other volunteers, is providing food and necessities to the displaced families.
PMC officials have issued notices to residents of 12 additional buildings on the cliff, requiring immediate evacuation. Affected residents from Balaji Park, Mayuresh Park, and Samruddhi Villa expressed their distress over the sudden displacement. "Where will we go now? All the flats are empty now," lamented Sandeep Kamble of Balaji Park.
Residents voiced frustration over the legality of their buildings, which were constructed over a decade ago when the area was governed by a gram panchayat. Amit Konde of Samruddhi Villa questioned why authorities permitted the construction of these buildings if they were illegal. Each of the 12 buildings has between 16 and 30 flats, with PMC officials serving notices to 80 to 100 flat owners.
Pradeep Jadhav of Samruddhi Villa noted that PMC officials arrived around 11 PM on Tuesday to issue the evacuation notices. "The authorities have completely vacated Mayuresh Park. We demand that PMC make alternative residential arrangements and construct a retaining wall near the cliff," Jadhav said.
Another resident highlighted the recent construction of a metallic road from the main road of Ambegaon Pathar to the Sai Mandir area, which worsened the flooding and subsequent landslip.
According to PMC officials, a team from the building permission department visited the site on Wednesday. The legality of the buildings, initially approved by the erstwhile gram panchayat, will be reviewed. Shridhar Yevalekar, the superintending engineer of PMC, advised residents to obtain a structural audit from a PMC-empaneled auditor and submit a report within two days.
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