A broken drainage chamber outside Pune’s district collector’s office has been releasing sewage onto the road for 10 to 15 days, creating foul odour, stagnant water, mud and potholes near one of the city’s key administrative centres, according to a report by Civic Mirror – Pune.
The damaged chamber is located near the entrance to the collector’s office, close to the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Sewage has reportedly been flowing along the road beside the footpath towards the northern side of the office complex. The flow extends to the Bundgarden police station and the underground passage in that area.
The stagnant wastewater has created muddy patches and large potholes, making it difficult for pedestrians and motorists to pass through the stretch. The report said the condition has caused inconvenience to citizens visiting the district administration offices as well as people using the adjoining road.
The Pune district collector’s office was reconstructed around seven to eight years ago and equipped with modern facilities. The building serves as the administrative headquarters for the district, but the damaged drainage chamber at its entrance has left the surrounding public space in poor condition.
The incident also highlights the coordination challenges around civic infrastructure in an area where multiple authorities operate close to one another. The Pune Cantonment Board boundary is located roughly 200 to 500 metres from the collector’s office. The report noted that the Pune Municipal Corporation had earlier taken up road repairs and resurfacing within the cantonment area, despite those roads falling outside its jurisdiction, after the chief minister’s convoy travelled through the area about a year and a half ago.
Citizens have questioned why the drainage failure near the district headquarters has not been repaired while other road-related interventions were undertaken nearby. The report did not identify the agency responsible for the damaged chamber or provide a response from the district administration, Pune Municipal Corporation or any other civic authority.
Residents and social workers have demanded immediate repair of the drainage chamber, removal of the accumulated wastewater and cleaning of the affected stretch. They have also called for measures to eliminate the foul odour. Concerns have been raised about the possibility of infectious diseases spreading because of the stagnant sewage, although the report does not cite any confirmed illness linked to the site.
The immediate action sought is the restoration of the drainage line and clearance of the sewage from the road near the collector’s office and Bundgarden police station.
