The Indian Express 18.07.2013
Pavana river is highly polluted: PCMC report
Corporation (PCMC) says the Pavana river is highly polluted compared to
other rivers flowing through the industrial town. The report says the
oxygen level in the river has gone down drastically and that the
Indrayani and Mula rivers are less polluted.
Civic activists said this was not new information. “It has been a
known fact for years. Discharge of untreated industrial effluents and
domestic waste has rendered the water unusable,” said Sachin Godambe, an
environment activist.
The growing pollution was first highlighted by Pune Newsline 15
years ago. Newsline had reported how the water of the river had turned
blood-red after untreated effluent was discharged from a chemical unit
in Thergaon. PCMC had promised to initiate suitable action to reduce the
pollution. “It announced plans, but they seem to have remained on
paper,” said D G Baliga, another activist.
Fifteen years later, at least ten incidents of dead fish
surfacing in thousands have been reported. “Every time, PCMC would
collect water samples and promise to check the quality of water.
However, officials never made these reports public,” said another
activist Shridhar Chalkha. Sanjay Kulkarni, executive engineer of the
environment cell, said the environment status report is from 2011-2012.
“In the past one year, we have initiated several steps, including
desilting by demolishing old bunds. The desilting has helped reduce the
pollution levels,” he said.
Kulkarni said PCMC has also taken the initiative to set up a
central effluent treatment plant for the industrial sector. “While the
big industrial units have their own effluent treatment plants, the
smaller chemical units do not because of the cost factor. Since Pavana
river falls under the jurisdiction of PCMC, we will soon set up a common
effluent treatment plant,” he said.
