Aaditya Thackeray claims riverfront development project is reason behind floods in Pune

Thackeray, in a post on X, said that when he was the minister, he stopped this project and asked builders to re-plan it.

"The flash floods in Pune weren't because of anything else than the unplanned destruction of Pune at the hands of the regime-builder nexus, along with the riverfront development/ destruction program put into effect by an architect from Gujarat, wanting to copy paste the sabarmati riverfront development model, without understanding the flow of Pune's rivers," he said.

"The riverfront development project is a blind destruction program of Pune and its rivers. As the then minister for Environment, I had stopped this destruction project and had asked them to re- plan the entire project," he added.

Further, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader mentioned that when their government was toppled the authorities have been pushing the project.

"However, after our govt was toppled, for the past 2 years, the Pune Municipal Corporation and the mindhe regime (government led by CM Eknath Shinde) have been pushing the project. Multiple urban planners and architects from Pune have spoken against it. So have I. This project is going to create trouble for Pune and we can see its impacts already in the form of floods. This riverfront destruction must be stopped," Aaditya Thackeray said.

He also asserted that a river clean-up is necessary, but not debris dumping to turn the river into a concrete bucket.

"I will be visiting Pune this week, not just to visit some flood hit spots but also to once again, highlight the damage this riverfront destruction program and rampant illegal construction has done to Pune," he added.

Earlier, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule said that the honest taxpayers of Pune have been completely cheated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

"The taxpayers are suffering due to the government's mismanagement. My demand is that they have to give a clear package, clean the area, and ensure food and water supply. People's documents have gone missing, children's books have gone missing, and the government has to pay for all this. The honest taxpayers of Pune have been completely cheated by the government," Sule said. (ANI)