India, April 28 -- Opposition to the Riverfront Development (RFD) project in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad has gained fresh momentum, with Sunday's large public protest at Shahid Kamthe Garden, Pimple Nilakh, marking a new phase. Hundreds of residents, activists, and environmentalists came together, demanding a full review of the RFD plan instead of isolated corrections.

"The rivers play a crucial role in the development of both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities. The untreated domestic and industrial sewage is polluting the river significantly. To carry decoration work along the flood plain areas of the rivers, a huge amount of construction waste is being dumped, which leads to shrinking of the river belt," said Maruti Bhapkar, who was part o...