PUNE: While unpredictable rainfall and unwarranted flooding due to encroachments on water bodies have been on the minds of Punekars, the problems related to the environment and climate change have not found a prominent mention in the election campaigns of the major political parties in Pune.
“We are totally responsible for the floods that affected us this monsoon. It’s the garbage created by the us, and the uncontrolled encroachment over the water bodies. However, I don’t see any political parties seriously talking about their issues in their campaigns,” said environmentalist Seema Ghate.
Speaking about the need for sustainable development, environmentalist Kishori Gadre said, “When a new government comes to power, the first thing that they do would be ‘development’ which they can show. In the name of development, we only get infrastructural development and rapid urbanisation.”
“Sustainability, for me, means that the Earth or nature should be able to sustain the development that we do. Do we ever think or talk about that?” she added.
While the government usually tries to complete the short-term goals that the people would be able to see easily, she added, the long-term planning for basic amenities continues to be neglected.
“Nature is getting unpredictable. Climate change is a reality. It’s high time that the political leaders see this,” Gadre stated.
River pollution and encroachments
“If you happen to open Google Earth to see the rivers and other water bodies in Pune, you will easily notice the massive amount of encroachments over them in the city,” said activist Uma Khare of Jeevit Nadi.
She added, “Over the years, residential complexes, slums as well as industrial sector has been encroaching upon rivers, the effects of which we saw this monsoon. The sewage water as well as huge amounts of garbage has been obstructing the natural flow of water, leading to flooding and water logging in the city. But these issues were not making it to the election campaigns as people have not been aware. Nobody knows that the government that they were going to elect needs to take environment on the forefront.”
She also stated that it’s sad that despite the nature’s wrath that fell upon the city this time, the political parties do not seem to be concerned of the environmental issues as much as their other political agendas.
