The Mula Mutha river at Pune.
Alexey Komarov via Wikimedia Commons
A river does not announce its decline. It slows, it narrows, and it gets pushed aside until one day, it no longer flows as it once did. In Pune, this quiet transformation is unfolding along the Mula and Mutha rivers, where concrete increasingly replaces current, and design begins to override ecology. What is being called development is, for many, a redefinition of the river itself.
At the center of this debate is the River Front Development (RFD) project, a plan to reshape a 44 kilometer stretch of Pune’s rivers that has triggered sharp criticism from citizens, environmentalists, and experts who argue that the project overlooks the river’s ecological identity. They argue that the project is less about river restoration and more about the encroachment of floodplains and riverbeds characterised by heavily concretised embankments and other structures such as barrages, as well as reclaiming floodplains and riverbeds for real estate development.
Yet, amid this tension, a shift is emerging. The first sample patch of the RFD project was opened up to the public on the 15th of February 2026 this year. While citizens, experts and environmentalists have raised severe concerns on how the project has been implemented, some positive development is on the horizon. Government authorities have begun engaging with citizen groups and experts, signaling a possible rethink. In a recent meeting involving officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and citizens, experts and NGOs, authorities acknowledged the importance of conserving the rich riparian habitats along the rivers.
They also showed willingness to examine site-specific modifications in the RFD plans to safeguard ecologically sensitive areas as suggested by experts from Jeevitnadi and other organisations. Work has been temporarily halted along the riverbanks until revised and modified designs are finalised and approved.
Among those shaping this conversation is Shailaja Deshpande, Founder Director of Jeevitnadi Living River Foundation, an organisation that has long worked to restore Pune’s rivers through research, advocacy, and community engagement. In this conversation with India Water Portal, she reflects on how rivers function as living systems, what has gone wrong in current approaches, and what it might take to let them flow again.
Rivers are not like roads. They flow, bend, and move through varied topographies as living ecosystems sustained by complex interdependencies between natural and physical systems. Any intervention in their flow or depth can affect not just the river itself, but also the organisms and communities that depend on it for water, food, and livelihoods.
Pune city has five rivers, Mula, Mutha, Ramnadi, Devnadi and Pavana, that join to form the Mula-Mutha. In short, water flows into Pune from 5 different catchments, and there is only one outlet for that, the Mula-Mutha river. Pune’s topography is saucer-shaped, which leads to water gushing down from different directions from the catchments when it rains heavily.
Rivers flowing through Pune are in their transition zones - i.e. between their origins in the Western Ghats and before they reach the floodplains. Here, channels are created for rivers and their tributaries and natural drainage networks meet the river and carry water, silt, and sediments into the main rivers. This creates high-velocity flows, unlike the slower movement seen in floodplains.
Rivers in Pune have dense drainage networks and micro-watersheds. For instance, the Ambil stream, which joins the Mutha, has one of the biggest catchment areas of all streams. Streams normally are less than 18 kilometres, but the catchment of the Ambil stream is very large at Katraj. Its micro-catchments areas are equally steep near hillocks like Taljai, Panchgaon Parvati, and Waghjai that contribute significant sediment to the Ambil stream and power its flow. Similar dynamics exist in rivers like Pavana and Ramnadi who meet the main channel of the Mula, and the Mula then becomes Mula Mutha at Sangamwadi bridge.
Given Pune’s topography, the dense drainage network and microwatersheds, there is a large volume of water that gushes down from streams to meet the rivers. Additionally, a chain of dams upstream release water at regular intervals into the river. The rivers therefore need enough carrying capacity to take in all this water. However, space for water has steadily reduced in the rivers. The Mutha has already been channelised, and multiple structures now occupy river space. For example, there are 61 metro pillars within the Mutha river. Within a short distance from the Khadakwasla dam release point, there are several bridges and metro stations.
The issue is not about removing infrastructure, but about the lack of planning that accommodates water flow. Alongside this, untreated wastewater continues to be discharged into rivers, and invasive species like water hyacinth are increasing. Pune’s rivers are now heavily polluted.
Increase in incidences of frequent flooding in the city also have to do with this increasing encroachment on the rivers and meeting streams. It is also important to factor in the impacts of climate change that are predicted to increase the intensity of rains and decrease the number of rainy days in Pune, leading to increasing risks of flooding.
According to its Detailed Project Report (DPR), the project aims to prevent floods, rejuvenate rivers, and reconnect people with them. In the initial phase the 3.7 kilometre stretch between Sangamwadi and Bund Garden has been prioritised, with 1.5 kilometre Sangamwadi stretch now ready and open for people to see. Expansion has also been planned in other sections including a 5.5 kilometre stretch from Bund Garden to Mundhwa and an 8.1 kilometre stretch between Aundh and Balewadi. The PMC plans to include civic amenities such as theme parks along the riverfront.
However, the reality is very different. The current RFD is the most unscientifically planned project as it is not at all river-centric. It treats the river as a static water body rather than a living ecosystem. The idea of beautification dominates, but what kind of space is being created? The current stretch is heavily concretised. Debris has been dumped, riverbanks lined with cement, and railings installed to separate people from the water. Trees have been planted in small concrete pits, many already wilting. You can still see the surviving rich riparian vegetation on the opposite side of the bank. Vegetation similar to this on this side of the bank was all cut down to make this concretised stretch.
This raises serious concerns. Why remove established ecosystems to create artificial ones that cannot survive? There has been no effort to improve water quality. The river remains polluted and, in many places, unusable. Imagine what will happen when temperatures soar, will people really be able to sit on the river banks and enjoy the still polluted and smelly river?
The damage extends beyond aesthetics. The completed work on the stretch has destroyed riparian forests and riverine habitats. The native trees, natural undergrowth, bird habitats, and both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems have been adversely affected. The natural floodplains that play a critical role in flood control, biodiversity conservation, groundwater recharge have been affected and the river health has been totally compromised.
The current beautified stretch of Mula Mutha against the rich riparian vegetation on the opposite bank at Sangamwadi.
The Mutha was damaged when it was channelised, but it still is very rich in groundwater. We have found groundwater discharges everywhere near the river in the form of springs and streams. Ideally, we could have created spaces like natural wetlands and ponds, taking into consideration the groundwater resources in the region. I had just gone two days ago to the Pavana river in the city near the Morya Gosavi temple; it has so many Karanj trees, Lianas more than 1 foot broad. Why do you want to do plantations when the area already has such rich vegetation that supports so many plants and animals and natural resources such as water and also saves our cities from heating up and running out of water?
We have done mapping and provided evidence of all the eco-sensitive areas near the Mula Mutha river to local authorities and have also reached out to the State level Forest Department for saving the Schedule I and Schedule II species which are in danger. For example, Schedule I species of turtles or wetland snakes can survive only in specific habitats and will die if the habitats are destroyed. We have also reached out to State and Central Biodiversity Boards with evidential documents and requested them to declare the riparian zones along the river banks as Biological heritage sites under the Biodiversity Act.
We have received a positive response from them to create “ Action taken Report”. We have also reached out to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), a body which advises / recommends to the Honourable Supreme Court. Necessary evidential documents about riparian forests along Mula, Mutha, Mula-Mutha, Pawana & Indrayani have been submitted to CEC for declaring them under “ Deemed Forests” This will ensure conservation and protection of the existing natural resources. Based on the evidential documents, CEC has directed the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra to inform local authorities – PMC & PCMC – to refrain from any tree cutting along the river banks till the Supreme Court Orders on decision of “ Deemed Forests”.
The rich biodiversity near the river Mula Mutha.
The damage caused in the completed stretch is deeply unfortunate and irreversible. However, we can learn from this experience and ensure that similar mistakes are not repeated. There are still several eco-sensitive stretches with rich flora and fauna that can and must be protected.
After mapping habitat-associated biodiversity and wildlife corridors and groundwater springs at a number of sites along the river, we have proposed key pointers for environmentally responsible riverfront development. These include site-specific designing, the protection of existing riparian vegetation, prohibiting hard concrete surfaces, habitat protection and prioritising soft, permeable, and nature-based solutions. We also recommend low-impact public access measures such as elevated boardwalks, viewing decks, birdwatching platforms, and designated “finger access” points instead of continuous embankment construction.
An IISc study done on the Mula-Mutha has estimated that the Mula-Mutha river catchment generates ecosystem services worth Rs 5,000 crore annually. The study calculated the net present value (NPV) of the catchment's ecological assets at Rs1.3 lakh crore. This valuation helps realise how important it is to save the river from further deterioration.
The PMC and PCMC Commissioners have now shown openness to discussing environmentally sensitive alternatives for these zones following a meeting. This is a positive step, and let us hope that we can save the remaining riparian forests. The PCMC has temporarily halted work along the Mula riverbanks until revised and modified designs are finalised and approved by us. They are discussing with us and changing the original plan, which is a great and positive development.
World over, countries have now started realising the value of ecosystem services provided by rivers and are increasingly making policies to accommodate and increase resilience to climate change by internalising natural resources. For example, The Los Angeles River in California is being revitalised, and 10 million US dollars are being spent on removing concretisation and restoring the meanders of the river. Countries like Austria, the Netherlands, China, and Korea are making policies to increase resilience to climate change by accommodating their natural resources in development plans. In the UK, while the Thames and the Seine were channelised and huge buildings constructed, plans are ongoing to restore their tributaries and open them into public spaces. This is a growing trend while approaches are different according to local conditions. We need to learn from these positive examples.
The Mula Mutha near Wakad bridge.
Currently the top priority should be looking beyond beautification – to control and manage river pollution. Pollution abatement, flood resilience, groundwater conservation and protection involving climate mitigation strategies must be an integral part of improving the current state of rivers. An integrated strategy with a sub-basin approach on the principles of “source to confluence” would be the key to addressing the “root causes". A River Regulatory Authority currently formed by the state must take onus of every flowing water body and also give directions as well as “dos and don'ts" to all local governing bodies irrespective of urban or rural.
Understanding rivers and their dynamics and developing a phased strategy from micro to macro watersheds around Pune can only help improve our rivers. Now that the dialogue has started and the government is working with NGOs, citizens, experts and environmentalists, we are hopeful that rivers will continue to flow freely in Pune.