PUNE: Nagrik Chetana Manch (NCM), a citizens' group, wants the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to enhance the sewage treating capacity to tackle future water crises in the city.

The PMC has been receiving water from the state irrigation department on the condition that it will treat 6.5 TMC water annually for agricultural use. Since no such steps were taken, the state government on March 18, 2009 sought Rs 6 crore as compensation.

Maj Gen S C N Jatar (retd) of NCM said the civic body can get the much-needed additional water from the reservoirs of the dams if it supplies treated water for irrigation. The city generates about 9.5 TMC sewage every year and the irrigation department has asked it to treat and release 6.5 TMC into the irrigation canal for farmers' use. Once this happens, farmers will not lift water from the reservoirs and Pune can claim the additional quota.

"Why is no one asking why the civic body has failed to recycle and put back a drop of the water in the irrigation canal in the past 28 years? Why is no one being made accountable for this lapse?" Jatar asked.

"In 1984, the irrigation department asked the civic body to recycle sewage. Again in 1997, 11.5 TMC water was allocated on the condition that it would recycle 6.5 TMC. From 1984, the civic body has not put back a drop of water in the irrigation canal. Blaming the irrigation department and not accepting its failure is not right," Jatar said. The civic body has developed the capacity to treat 527 MLD (70.80%) of the total 750 MLD sewage generated. Another treatment plant in Kharadi with 40 MLD capacity will go operational soon and boost the treatment to 76%, according to civic officials.

In February, the general body sanctioned Rs 50 crore for sewage treatment. The civic body has drawn up a plan which includes setting up of eight sewage treatment plants at a cost of Rs 271.60 crore for treating 100% sewage. The PMC will seek funds from Centre for the project.