Residents of the Gharkul Housing Society in Chikhali, built by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), continue to face the same nightmare every monsoon: knee-deep water flooding their homes, corridors, and parking spaces. Despite moving into their homes over a decade ago in 2014, the 30,000-strong community says the civic body has failed to provide a lasting solution. With 158 buildings in the project and around 30 of them worst-hit, residents struggle with daily disruptions lifts stop working due to flooded shafts, drinking water gets contaminated, and even ambulances can’t access the area during heavy rains. Last year, the situation got so bad that residents had to break their compound wall to let floodwater escape into a nearby farm, sparking a legal dispute with the landowner.
PCMC officials say they are aware of the problem and have been working to upgrade the drainage system. Two years ago, they enlarged a key pipeline, but it didn’t help. In their latest effort, they began laying a new 1,200-metre stormwater line and an additional 600-metre line last month. However, early rains halted the work midway. Officials admitted that utility lines like high-voltage cables and gas pipelines slowed the pace due to cramped underground space. The civic body has now resumed work and hopes to finish it within 8–10 days, weather permitting. Residents, though, remain skeptical, having heard similar promises for ten years while wading through the same floods year after year.