The newly-appointed additional municipal commissioner, Prithviraj Meena, is on a mission to bring all STP installations and river cleaning works in the city to a logical conclusion and to steer efforts in this direction, he made site inspection of projects in Bavdhan, Pashan, and other areas on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by officials of Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority(PMRDA), gram panchayat, and KothrudBavdhan ward office. They inspected sites of three major projects; including a sewage treatment plant in Bavdhan near Ramnadi to curb river pollution; rejuvenation of Pashan, Jambhulwadi and Katraj lakes; and removal of water hyacinths from these water bodies.
For years, residents have campaigned for a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Bavdhan Budruk to prevent lake water pollution. Every year, crores of rupees are spent cleaning the lake. Sewage water spilled into the Ramnadi flows into the lake and subsequently into the Mula River. Furthermore, water weed grows throughout the lake, exacerbating the problem. Civic officials said that a STP is being built upstream of Pashan Lake, and that the project will be completed in six months and will treat 90 percent of the sewage that enters the water body.
Krunnal Gharre, a Bavdhan resident and social activist, told Mirror that 95% of the Ramnadi water that flows into the Pashan Lake is sewage from broken drainage systems along the river in the PMRDA area. “It was really encouraging to see how all of the department officials joined together for the site visit. According to officials, the STP facility at Ramnadi will be operational by September based on current progress of the work. Once the facility is operational, the river pollution will gradually decrease,” he said.
Lake Rejuvenation Plan
The lakes of Pashan, Jambhulwadi, and Katraj have long grappled with issues concerning garbage disposal and unregulated sewage, with the Pune Municipal Corporation spending approximately Rs. 50 lakhs annually to combat the proliferation of hyacinths. The civic body is determined to enhance the aesthetic appeal and environmental sustainability of three prominent lakes in the city as part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. In a collaborative effort between PMC and the estimates committee of the civic body, a comprehensive plan has been devised to revitalise these water bodies, allocating a budget of Rs. 20 crores for the initiative.The proposed project entails extensive measures such as afforestation around the lakes, installation of concrete pathways, systematic waste management, and the establishment of jogging tracks encircling the water bodies. Stringent actions are also slated to be enforced against individuals found illegally dumping waste in the vicinity of the lakes.
Removal of Water Hyacinths
PMC has over the past decade spent nearly Rs. 20 crores on removing water hyacinths from the Mula-Mutha river and the lakes in its jurisdiction, however, they reappear owing to drainage flowing into these water bodies, forcing the civic body to spend on removing the hyacinths all over again. So much so that the PMC has now increased its budget to clear hyacinths from Rs. 2 crores to Rs. 4.50 crores and its environment department has initiated the tendering process to remove hyacinths following complaints from citizens regarding the mosquito menace. The civic authorities had even experimented with the use of the chemical Dranzyme to destroy water hyacinths in Ramnadi. The experiment was successful as it was found that the water hyacinth had dried up and gave good results.
Official’s Word
“During the site visits and inspections of STP projects and lake cleaning works, major issues such as rejuvenation of lakes and removal of hyacinths were discussed with officials of PMRDA and other stakeholders. Such inspections will be carried out on a regular basis to ensure that projects are completed within the timeframe specified and that river pollution is reduced,” said Prithiviraj Meena, additional commissioner of PMC.
IMAGE CREDIT: Pune mirror
