Hey there, Pune folks! It seems like our beloved city is in hot water, quite literally. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) recently dropped a bombshell on the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) by issuing a notice accusing them of causing water pollution and fish deaths in the river.
According to the MPCB, the discharge of untreated sewage directly into the river has led to the unfortunate demise of fish in the area. A joint inspection by MPCB and PMC officials revealed that the sewage treatment project at Naidu Sewage Treatment Plant is running without the necessary approval from MPCB.
During the inspection, dead fish were spotted on the riverbanks, and it was noted that water was not flowing in the Pune River Rejuvenation Project area. The MPCB mentioned in their notice that the sewage from three drains near the Naidu Sewage Treatment Plant is directly mixing with the river, resulting in black, foul-smelling sewage with a pH value of 6 to 7.
To make matters worse, the PMC is reportedly discharging 90 MLD of untreated sewage into the Mula and Mutha rivers. The old Naidu sewage treatment plant has been demolished, but the new project has not yet been completed or started. And get this – all sewage treatment plants in the city, totaling 567 MLD capacity, are operating without MPCB approval since the approval period expired in 2023.
The MPCB didn’t stop there; they also brought up the pollution of Indrayani and Ulhas rivers, which don’t even flow through Pune city. But hey, blame it on PMC, right? Jagannath Salunkhe from MPCB Pune has given PMC 15 days to respond to the notice and submit a long-term plan for treating all of Pune’s wastewater. If PMC doesn’t comply, legal action will be taken.
In response, Manisha Shekatkar from PMC admitted that they don’t have enough sewage treatment capacity in Pune and that the new Naidu plant is still under construction. They are in the process of obtaining MPCB approval for all sewage treatment plants in the city.
So, Pune, it looks like we’ve got some cleaning up to do. Let’s hope PMC gets their act together and takes the necessary steps to protect our rivers and wildlife. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story!
Thanks For Reading Report of Punepress.com