PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's plan to start a special ward for suspected swine flu patients at the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) may be shelved as the civic body now plans to start a special ward at the government-run ESI hospital at Aundh.

Speaking to TOI, PCMC's chief medical officer Nagkumar Kunchagi, said the corporation intends to open two wards for treating suspected swine flu patients at the ESI hospital at Aundh. "The ESI hospital building has been lying empty and we can use it for setting up wards for treating cases of suspected swine flu. We want to set up two wards, each with a 25-bed capacity," he said.

Kunchagi said the corporation has requested the state health department to allot space in the ESI hospital to start these wards. "The Public Works Department of the state government is in possession of the ESI hospital building, which we inspected two days back. The PWD must conduct the repair work and hand over the necessary space to the PCMC for these wards," he added.

"All the necessary arrangements have been made. If the state government grants the permission, then we will start this ward at the ESI hospital very soon," said Kunchagi.

Initially, the PCMC was planning to open a 16-bed ward for treating suspected swine flu patients on the fourth floor of the YCMH.

The Times of India - Pune 31.07.2009

PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided not to allow new constructions in areas within the blue floodline of rivers flowing through the municipal limits. Speaking to TOI, municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma said the municipal corporation would not give permission for constructing new buildings in such areas.

Three rivers flow through the municipal limits. The river Indrayani flows along the northern boundary of the municipal limits through Moshi, Dudulgaon and Charholi villages.

The Pavana river flows through the middle of Pimpri-Chinchwad township, enters the municipal limits at Ravet and flows for around 12 km to merge with the Mula river near Dapodi. Ravet, Punawale, Chinchwadgaon, Thergaon, Kalewadi, Kasarwadi, Pimpale Gurav, Sangvi and Dapodi are located along its banks. When Pavana is flooded, it affects a large population of the twin township.

The Mula river flows along the southern boundary of the municipal limits through Wakad, Sangvi and Dapodi, which also affect the population during flooding. Parts of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar and Bhatnagar slum in Pimpri is flooded when water is discharged from Pavana dam. Slums and the crematorium in Dapodi are also affected when the Mula river is in spate.

In 2005, massive flooding had occurred along the banks of Pavana and Mula rivers. Buildings in Keshavnagar area of Chinchwad and housing societies in Sangvi had been flooded. "These are old constructions built before marking of the floodline. Henceforth, we will not allow new constructions along the river banks within the floodline," Sharma stated.

An official in the building permission department said that two floodlines marked in blue and red have been demarcated along the rivers. Construction is allowed in areas between the red and blue floodline. The plinth of the construction has to be above the red floodline.

Sharma added that the department has sent a letter to the irrigation department to seek guidelines about the type of constructions that can be allowed in the areas within the floodlines. Moreover, the district collector has sent a directive that a no objection certificate of the irrigation department is necessary for any construction in the areas along the river banks.