‘This Is Not Development, It’s Destruction’: Waterman Of India Rajendra Singh Slams Pune’s Mula Riverfront Project

Environmentalist Rajendra Singh, often called the Waterman of India, has raised a loud and urgent alarm over the controversial Mula Riverfront Development Project, calling it an ecological disaster in the making. During a site inspection on Sunday, Singh declared that no municipality or paper permit can override the will of a river, and warned that once the monsoon arrives, nature will reclaim its path, with devastating consequences.

Speaking at a press conference in Chinchwad on Monday, along with environmental advocates Sarang Yadwadkar, Narendra Chugh, Vijay Paranjape, and Dhananjay Shedbale, Singh condemned the project as a "document of corruption." He alleged that a powerful nexus of political leaders, administrative officials and contractors is harming the river by violating environmental norms, legal boundaries, and public welfare.

“The true permission to work in a riverbed comes from the river itself,” Singh said. “The Mula River has not granted this permission. Filling 75 feet into the riverbed, within the blue flood line, is not development; it's destruction.” He warned that despite PCMC's approvals, a municipality cannot stop a flood, and altering maps won't alter nature.

The Irrigation Department had already issued warnings to stop the filling work, fearing it would obstruct the natural flow of the river and lead to urban flooding. Yet the project has moved ahead, defying environmental guidelines and even earlier court orders.

Singh criticised PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh, accusing him of abandoning constitutional responsibility and acting as a contractor in disguise. “This is not just misgovernance, it’s betrayal of the people, of the Constitution, and of the river,” he said, adding, “The river, the people of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and India's Constitution will hold him accountable.”

Singh called for the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and direct a complete halt to the work. A petition is already pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), with a crucial hearing set for June 17.

Back in 2016, environmentalists urged PCMC to halt construction in the blue flood line of the Indrayani River. Those pleas were ignored. Now, nearly a decade later, a court ordered the demolition of illegal structures. In the last two days, PCMC has demolished 36 bungalows, resulting in massive financial and emotional losses for citizens. “Had PCMC listened in 2016, today’s destruction could have been avoided,” Singh said.

Under the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government, leaders like Sharad Pawar, Aaditya Thackeray and Vandana Chavan had reviewed the riverfront project after environmental concerns were raised and they ordered a complete halt. Singh noted that the change in political power brought with it a resumption of the same flawed project under the Mahayuti government, showing how political shifts are compromising ecological integrity.

"The blue flood line has been redrawn on paper, but not in reality. You can’t fool a river with paperwork, the river knows its course. It remembers where it flowed for thousands of years. Changing a line on a map does not change nature's blueprint," Singh concluded.