Stressing on the cultural significance of the Indrayani River, school education minister Deepak Kesarkar directed local authorities to take immediate action to prevent untreated sewage from flowing into the river, and focus on sewage management.
Kesarkar was speaking at a review meeting on the Indrayani River pollution held at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mhalunge on Tuesday, December 26. MLA Uma Khapare; Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) commissioner, Rahul Mahiwal; Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) municipal commissioner, Shekhar Singh; Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) member-secretary Avinash Dhakane; and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) additional commissioner Kunal Khemnar were also present on the occasion.
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Kesarkar said, “Although new sewage treatment plants need to be set up to manage sewage water and that is in process, it is necessary to ensure that old plants also continue to be in active condition. Efforts should be made to collect and process wastewater from large housing societies to prevent pollution in the rivers. Punitive action should be taken if it is found that sewage is not being treated by the housing societies.”
“In view of the Namami Chandrabhaga project, along with the Indrayani River, we have to also think about preventing pollution in the Mula-Mutha River and other rivers and water bodies in the rural areas. Local bodies should pay more attention to wastewater management. A separate team should be formed to address these issues and till such time the sewage treatment plants are constructed, local bodies should prevent polluted water from flowing into rivers through preliminary measures,” Kesarkar said.
Addressing the meeting, Dhakane said, “While approving the project in an area of less than 20,000 square metres, it should be ensured that the sewage treatment plant is set up. Action will be taken against the guilty officials if contaminated water is found flowing into the river without treatment by industries in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).”
Whereas Khapare appealed to various departments to coordinate to prevent contaminated water from flowing into the river. On this occasion, officials from the PMRDA informed about the measures being taken to prevent pollution of the Indrayani River.
Recently, citizens and environmental activists had voiced concerns over pollution in the Indrayani River and demanded that both the PCMC and MPCB take strict action against those responsible for it. The MPCB had issued notice to the PCMC for polluting the water in the Indrayani River and had asked the PCMC to take immediate action against river pollution.
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