PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) completed over 70% of its annual pre-monsoon drainage cleaning work across the city, with civic officials saying the delayed arrival of the monsoon has provided some additional time to finish pending operations.According to the officials, 70% of stormwater drains, 63% of stormwater lines and 75% of nalas have been cleaned so far. (Hindustan Times)While the civic body’s usual deadline for completing the exercise is May 31, officials said the ongoing delay in the onset of rains has allowed drainage teams to continue work in several parts of the city.According to the officials, 70% of stormwater drains, 63% of stormwater lines and 75% of nalas have been cleaned so far.PMC Disaster Management Cell head Ganesh Sonune said the overall progress has been satisfactory, although some ward offices started work later than scheduled.“Work in a few ward offices is still pending. However, we are confident of completing the remaining work within the next 10 to 15 days,” he said.Sonune said the civic body was also looking at adopting technology-driven solutions to improve future maintenance. “We are planning to use new technology to assess the volume and quantity of waste accumulating in the drainage network. This will help us plan cleaning operations more accurately in the coming years,” he said.He added that public cooperation remains crucial in preventing blockages. “The main challenge is congestion in nalas, which makes cleaning difficult. Citizens should avoid dumping waste into nalas and drainage lines, as it leads to blockages and several related problems,” Sonune said.Workers and heavy machinery have been deployed across the city to remove silt, plastic waste and debris from Pune’s drainage network to reduce the risk of flooding, sewage overflow and traffic disruption during the monsoon.Residents living near nalas said inadequate cleaning often leads to problems during the rainy season. Aarti Deshmukh, a resident of Katraj, said, “When drainage lines get clogged during the monsoon, the stench becomes unbearable and the mosquito menace increases significantly.”PMC official Jagdish Khanore said the pre-monsoon exercise was carried out every year to ensure stormwater infrastructure functions effectively during the rainy season.“Stormwater lines need to be cleaned before the rains begin, while sewer lines require maintenance throughout the year,” he said.Khanore said all 15 ward offices have floated separate tenders of around ₹1 crore each for nala cleaning and another ₹1 crore for stormwater line cleaning.He, however, cautioned that cleaning alone may not eliminate the risk of waterlogging. “The extent of waterlogging depends on the intensity of rainfall. In several locations, nalas have been blocked or covered, and drainage lines have been encroached upon. Our encroachment department is taking action to address these issues,” Khanore said.